As commissioned by Bureau Binnenstad – part of the Rotterdam municipality – blade-made designed a furniture piece for Willemsplein. It is a square situated at the foot of the Erasmus bridge. At this event location, there was a need for furniture that allowed visitors of Rotterdam, and foremostly of Spido to reside here. Another requirement was that it could be temporarily removed during events.

For this project we found ±6 metre long windmill blades in Frisia, NL that would almost be discharged as waste. There were 9 blades available, originally produced by STORK. To transform these blades into urban furniture, we made concrete blocks that are heavy enough to keep the light blades in place. The construction aggregate of which consists of 100% recycled concrete waste that was locally sourced in Rotterdam. The tops of these blocks are slanted so that the standing blade assumes a slightly diagonal position, contrasting with other vertical elements on the square, such as street lanterns and trees.

All blades are painted in signal red, to add a dash of colour to the grey, paved surroundings of the Willemsplein. By positioning the blades, the furniture allows various possibilities for ergonomic seating. The seat depth varies from chair to lounge.

Partners
GKB group & Joulz
Status
Realised July 2012
Location
Rotterdam | The Netherlands