share portable park chair by thomas bernstrand for nola

‘share’ lockable portable park chair by thomas bernstrand for nola

the ‘share’ portable park chair, created by swedish designer thomas bernstrand for stockholm-based design manufacturers nola, offers an innovative design solution for the need of flexible public seating both indoor and outdoor.

like shopping carts or trolleys used in many supermarkets and airports, the chairs are equipped with coin-operated locks, nesting into one another for secure storage when not in use. in this way the design lowers the risk of theft, as the chairs are collectively secured to an immovable base, as well as encourages everyday users to return the seat to the storage station after use, in order to recuperate his coin.

the piece is on exhibition with nola’s 2012 collection at stockholm furniture and light fair 2012.

full view of a single chair

detail top view of locking mechanism

you might also be interested in the ‘streeeeeet bench‘ by vincent wittenberg and guy konigstein (2010), which is designed for different settings with different needs, but which adopts a similar approach to urban furniture.