martin binder installs park bench in germany that only works with mutual effort

Martin Binder installs park seat on cylindrical pivot in Germany

Berlin-based artist Martin Binder presents a bench that refuses to let you sit alone. Installed in the Garden of Generations in Einbeck, Germany, the Balance Bench looks simple, oak slats on a clean steel frame, but it only works if two or more people use it together. It’s mounted on a single cylindrical pivot, so unless users physically balance their weights and positions, the bench tilts. ‘This work directly embodies democratic principles through its design,’ explains Binder. ‘It cannot function for a single user—it explicitly requires consensus, negotiation, and mutual awareness between at least two people to create a functional public space.’

Martin Binder on his sculpture | images by Spieker Fotografie, unless stated otherwise

the balance bench becomes a shared act

Interdisciplinary artist Martin Binder calls it ‘democracy in design.’ There’s no hierarchy, no fixed center, no leader. The only way to sit comfortably is by mutual adjustment. Sit too far apart, and you slide off. Too close, same result. The mechanics force users to negotiate, to read someone else’s body, and to respond. The bench becomes a shared act. ‘Finding the right balance requires communication and awareness of others,’ Binder notes. ‘You cannot impose your will on the bench—the physics simply won’t allow it. Similarly, democratic spaces require give and take, awareness of others’ needs, and a willingness to adjust one’s position for the common good.’

the Berlin-based artist presents a bench that refuses to let you sit alone

exploring distance and awareness of others

Binder first came up with the idea during the COVID19 lockdowns. At the time, it was meant for a public art festival that got canceled. But the themes stuck—distance, proximity, awareness of others. The bench became a quiet response to how the pandemic shifted our understanding of shared space. Now, as a permanent fixture in his hometown, it opens up conversation between generations and strangers alike through weight and balance. ‘The pandemic made us acutely aware of proximity and distance in public spaces,’ says Binder. ‘This installation playfully interrogates that awareness, asking how we negotiate shared space in a post-pandemic world.’

the Balance Bench looks simple, oak slats on a clean steel frame

changing one’s own position is crucial in order to find balance with others

finding the balance together

the mechanics force users to negotiate, to read someone else’s body, and to respond

with 4.5 meters the bench offers seats for up to eight people

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rendering of the structure by Martin Binder

rendering of the mechanism inside by Martin Binder

initial sketch by Martin Binder

project info:

name: Balance Bench
artist: Martin Binder | @bindermartin_art
location: Einbeck, Germany

construction: Henning Müller Sondermaschienen GmbH
photographer: Spieker Fotografie | @spieker.fotografie

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: thomai tsimpou | designboom