April 27, 2022

Outdoor Chairs for Public Spaces

“Pull up a seat” is not a phrase used often when dealing with 300-pound steel benches. Our commercial benches are built for stability and safety to stay in place, be bolted down and become a lasting multi-seat installation. However, outdoor chairs and single-person seats offer a more versatile approach to public space design and function. Whether movable or secured in place, commercial-grade chairs provide a unique alternative to traditional bench seating.

This rising trend in landscape design can give pedestrians private seating and the ability to adapt a space to their needs. See below for creative examples of single-seat site furniture solutions.

Bus Stop Seating

This bus depot in Anaheim, CA maximizes open space and visual sight lines while also providing distinct individual outdoor seating options. Single pedestal seats from our Volant collection not only provide personal seating but its no-back design also offers the flexibility for a pedestrian to choose their own seating direction.

Choose Your Own View

Finding chairs that are both movable and sturdy can be a challenge. Movable options allow a user to choose their view and customize seating arrangements. At the same time, enough weight is necessary to combat high winds and discourage theft. The Everett chair shown below finds that perfect balance. Pedestrians can carefully pull up a chair to take in the waterfront views of this seaside location but property owners can rest assured that the chairs will stay in place when needed.

Add a Pop of Color

We have been seeing a lot of fun colors coming off of our production line lately, especially when it comes to chairs. Chairs are a quick and easy way to add a pop of color to a property. Outdoor courtyards, parks, campus common areas and more are being equipped with dozens of free-floating lightweight chairs to gather in groups big and small. When they are powder coated in bright, eye-catching colors, visitors immediately feel invited to take a seat.

Private Lounging

In those moments when you need to escape to the outdoors with a book, your laptop or just simply your thoughts, a permanent outdoor lounge chair fits the bill. This provides a personal, comfortable seat for a single user while being a durable upgrade to typical poolside lounge chairs. Our Loma lounge chair offers modern design and comfort contours to reimagine public seating for one. We have been seeing many design plans incorporating these types of commercial-grade lounge chairs into rooftop decks, riverfront parks, boardwalks and anywhere else where you would want to put up your feet and bask in the sun.

Create Space

One of the important things to keep in mind in public space design is to offer a variety of seating options that can accommodate the different comfort zones of personal space and distance. You need to create a space that considers how much space people need. Be sure to offer benches and tables for close gathering while providing single-person seats or other forms of separation. Sometimes, just a center arm on a bench can provide the perceived distance for personal comfort. Other times, individual chairs will be preferred. If you provide more than one option, pedestrians will feel more welcomed to find a seat that suits their needs.

There is no one-size-fits-all approach to landscape seating, but with the versatility that commercial-grade chairs provide, they are a great option to consider to make your space adaptable and inclusive for a variety of people and uses.

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