discarded traffic signs fold into urban tables for farmers’ markets in new york city

architect juan fernández gonzález repurposes decommissioned aluminum road signs into folded standing tables that bolt directly onto standard U-channel signposts.

JFG edited by christina vergopoulou November 13, 2026 3 min

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JUAN FERNÁNDEZ GONZÁLEZ FOLDS TRAFFIC SIGNS INTO URBAN TABLES

Conceived by architect Juan Fernández González, Traffic Sign Urban Tables is an urban furniture project that repurposes decommissioned aluminum traffic signs into standing tables mounted onto existing street signposts in New York City. With over one million traffic signs across the five boroughs regularly removed due to graffiti, wear, or legibility loss, the project intercepts municipal waste streams to provide compact dining surfaces for farmers’ markets and mobile food vendors, which typically operate without seating or surface amenities.

a blue and yellow press brake machine with several pink and white striped metal signs in front — discarded traffic signs are painted and folded with a press brake | all images ©Juan Fernández González

pink-and-white aluminum signs bend into structural table forms

Fabricated from retired road signs sourced from the Mercer County Department of Transportation and Infrastructure in New Jersey, each aluminum sheet is bent using a press brake at Serett Corp. in Jersey City into a narrow cantilevered shelf. The designer hand-paints the tables in a pink-and-white checkered motif referencing traditional disposable street-food tablecloths. Installation relies entirely on pre-existing U-channel signposts—a Federal Highway Administration standard featuring pre-punched mounting holes spaced one inch center-to-center. Secured with standard bolts, nuts, and washers, the lightweight units can be height-adjusted, mounted without obstructing pedestrian circulation, and deployed temporarily during street closures. Following initial installations at the Carnaval de la Cultura Latina in Queens and GrowNYC’s Inwood and Union Square Greenmarkets in Manhattan, the modular attachment system is designed for scalability across North America wherever standardized U-channel posts are present.

a red stop sign on a pole with a pink and white striped Traffic Sign Urban Table attached below it, on a sidewalk — a table made with a discarded stop sign attached to another stop sign’s pole

three people standing around two pink and white striped Traffic Sign Urban Tables on a sunny city sidewalk — three tables in Washington Heights

two people eating at a pink and white striped table attached to a tacos and quesadillas food truck — a table installed next to a food truck near the Lincoln Center in Manhattan

close-up of two people eating from containers on a pink and white striped Traffic Sign Urban Table, with three pink sodas — a table with Mexican food and drinks

a pink and white striped Traffic Sign Urban Table holding a thermos and a basket, on a city sidewalk — a table with food and a travel mug

juan-fernandez-gonzalez-traffic-sign-urban-tables-designboom-1800-2 — a man lunches on a table installed next to a food truck

a crowd of people with umbrellas, with a pink and white striped table in the foreground — a table installed at the Carnaval de la Cultura Latina in Queens

a pink and white striped Traffic Sign Urban Table attached to a pole, with a hand truck next to it, in Times Square — a table with a utility dolly and gloves at Times Square

a man standing near a street sign at a farmers' market with white tents — a table at the Union Square Greenmarket

a bicycle with a basket of bread rolls in front of a farmers' market with white tents and people — a table at the Inwood Greenmarket

juan-fernandez-gonzalez-traffic-sign-urban-tables-designboom-1800-3 — Traffic Sign Urban Tables plans, elevations, sections

project info:

name: Traffic Sign Urban Tables
artist: Juan Fernández González

location: New York City, US

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