UNStudio: sittable for PROOFF

UNStudio: sittable for PROOFF photos courtesy of roel van tour & pim top

sit down, sit up, lounge, hang, repose, move, work, read, consult or relax. alone or together. people communicate in a variety of ways. the design for ‘sittable’ caters to the needs of these divergent varieties. it allows for the table to become a thinking place as well as a social meeting ground, whilst offering a diversity of options for functionality. it may become a quiet reading table found in a library, or a work and relaxation place located in an airport lounge. it could simply be used in a waiting room, in a front office or in a school. it may also act as a meeting space for exhibitions or in shops. whichever role it fills, everyone is given the opportunity to discover their own practical use for the sittable. it is designed to serve one’s own intended purpose for functionality and arrangement.

PROOFF‘s  hybrid form of the ‘sittable’ designed by UNStudio, combines two pieces of multi-functional furniture, offering a variety of space-creating authority to the user. numerous tasks can be carried out simultaneously at the sittable – both solitary and social, or a combination of the two. ‘sittable’ was  presented at interieur 2010 kortrijk .

detail of the supporting structure

ben van berkel, founder of UNStudio: ‘the sittable is designed for the various ways in which people communicate. through a cross combination of usage possibilities, it extends the traditional role of the table as a social meeting place.’ 

‘sittable’ by UNStudio for PROOFF features a seating area within a larger work surface

UNStudio has long been interested in hybrid forms of all scales, from large scale mixed-use urban projects through to programmatic and volumetric transitions in public buildings and private residences. a similar approach is often taken to products designed by the studio, where hybridisation offers increased performance potential to a wide variety of users. the sittable is a new addition to this family of designs.

back view

initial concept sketch