Project 4: Benches

Benches or should I say, places to sit and relax have been around for thousands of years. The purpose for them have essentially remained the same throughout history as well. The bench is often used for sitting, relaxing, spectating, reading, drawing, you name it. It's an all around versatile object, and it's no surprise why one will find benches in almost every public space or any place where people may gather. What I learned from taking all these pictures of different benches was that the materiality and sometimes even the structure of the bench itself were based upon the surrounding environment and its elements. For example the smooth grey metal bench was found on Northeastern's campus and has a more modern and "futuristic" look to it which is much like what Northeastern is going for with it's recent campus renovations and projects. Other benches such as the green painted wooden benches I saw in Cambridge have more of a historical feel with the old wood and rusting metal. Another thing I noticed was how all the benches I saw in parks were very similar, and often made from a combination of a darker metal and either stained or painted wood.