red-and-white aluminum safety barriers convert into public seating at dutch design week

the ‘stop!’ collection by studio martins mezulis and 13_0663_tsx reinterprets standard construction barriers into modular benches and stools, transforming restrictive street infrastructure into inviting spaces for public gathering.

M.Mezulis edited by christina vergopoulou October 21, 2026 2 min

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red-and-white safety barriers reimagined as public seating

A signature element of Dutch urban infrastructure, the red-and-white aluminum traffic barrier (schrikhek), serves as the primary design reference for ‘stop!’, a new collection of outdoor benches and stools by Studio Martins Mezulis and 13_0663_tsx. Typically deployed across the Netherlands to signal construction zones and redirect public traffic, these standardized aluminum structures have been reconfigured to serve a social rather than restrictive function in public spaces.

red-and-white aluminum safety barriers convert into public seating at dutch design week - 1 — all images ©Studio Martins Mezulis and 13_0663_tsx

recontextualizing utilitarian infrastructure into furniture

The ‘stop!’ collection by Studio Martins Mezulis and creative 13_0663_tsx reinterprets the visual language and material composition of traditional safety infrastructure into functional street furniture. Instead of diverting pedestrians and cyclists away, the modified forms invite users to pause, sit, and gather. By recontextualizing the familiar high-visibility aluminum panels into seating, the project explores how utilitarian safety elements can be adapted for community interaction. The collection makes its public debut during Dutch Design Week, with installations positioned at Strijp-S Ketelhuisplein and Design Perron in Eindhoven.

red-and-white aluminum safety barriers convert into public seating at dutch design week - 2 — ‘stop!’ collection reinterprets Dutch red-and-white aluminum traffic barriers as public seating

red-and-white aluminum safety barriers convert into public seating at dutch design week - 3 — the project adapts familiar road safety infrastructure into functional street furniture

red-and-white-aluminum-traffic-barrier-stop!-outdoor-benches-martins-mezulis-13_0663_tsx-designboom-1800-2 — red-and-white striped aluminum elements reconfigured for social interaction

red-and-white aluminum safety barriers convert into public seating at dutch design week - 4 — high-visibility aluminum panels repurposed into outdoor benches and stools

red-and-white aluminum safety barriers convert into public seating at dutch design week - 5 — street furniture recontextualizing temporary construction zone barriers

red-and-white aluminum safety barriers convert into public seating at dutch design week - 6 — stop! benches transportation

red-and-white aluminum safety barriers convert into public seating at dutch design week - 7 — stop! benches construction

project info:

name: stop! outdoor bench collection
designers: Studio Martins Mezulis | @studiomartinsmezulis, 13_0663_tsx | @13_0663_tsx
location: Eindhoven, Netherlands

event: Dutch Design Week | @dutchdesignweek

materials: road safety barriers, steel

measurements: 450mm height; 1250mm lenght; 500mm width

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.

red-and-white safety barriers reimagined as public seating

recontextualizing utilitarian infrastructure into furniture