Floating Gardens, Royal Victoria Dock, London
London Festival of Architecture | 2022-2023
Resembling two barrels on the quayside, the Chit Chat Chair's curving form hugs its sitters, creating a moment of refuge within the vast Royal Victoria Dock.
The bench's S-shape brings two people into an unusually intimate composition, hoping to spark spontaneous conversation and a curiosity to discover what one another hold 'in-common'.
The bench is made from roofing battens, a humble, off-the-shelf building material.
This simple material is celebrated in the crafting of an object that feels sculpted and refined.
The design for the Chit Chat Chair was a response to the 2023 Pews and Perches competition's theme: In-common.
Our competition entry was one of four winning entries to be installed on sites around the Royal Docks as part of the 2023 London Festival of Architecture.
Cut the roofing battens to approximate length.
Slice the groove into the lengths.
Construct the seats.
Fix the 103 vertical timbers to the seats (and each other).
Chisel the holes for the steel skewer, and fixing it in place.
Join the two sides of the bench with dowels.
Plug all screw holes.
Mark and cut the top of the verticals to a smooth curve.
Sand and oil
Fix the base plate ribbon into the groove on the underside of the verticals
credits and Publications
Thank you to Piercy & Company for the use of the workshop
Installed bench photo credits to Luke O'Donovan
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https://www.royaldocks.london/articles/the-pews-and-perches-design-competition-2023
https://www.dezeen.com/2023/06/15/london-festival-of-architecture-pews-and-perches-winners/