Chicago Street Furniture - Street Lounge
The Street Lounge transforms neglected urban spaces into local community focal points by allowing visitors to create, display and exchange creative ideas in a welcoming and purpose-built environment.
Download the Architecture for Humanity - Chicago Chapter Competition Brief
Abandoned lots of the city are free from function offering inspiration to street artists who reuse them as a creative outlet. Based on this notion the Street Lounge sets street art, tagging and post-it notes in the context of street furniture. It becomes a vehicle through which people can communicate their ideas and directly engage with the community giving a new lease of life to abandoned lots.
Armchairs made of discarded railway sleepers make the street furniture inviting and personal. They reference Chicago’s elevated rail lines near which neglected plots of land are often found. Shelving made of particle board seems orderly and carries connotations of library environments inspiring resposnsible behaviour to passers by and to users.
The louvered canopy affords visitors enough privacy to pursue their personal interests while in the presence of others. It also provides shading and 360 degrees visibility allowing them to be aware of their surroundings and to feel safe.
