Sylvain Willenz : Virus
- MateriaLiseDesign : Sylvain, in 2004 you and James Carrigan conceived Virus, some sort of public furniture system. How did the idea come up?
- Sylvain Willenz : Virus is a self initiated project. James and I were interested in design for the urban environment. Not in designing another bench but rather in understanding what a bench actually is and in identifying its role in the city. Looking at how people naturally respond to the city, we discovered that people sit everywhere and anywhere. We decided to focus on this observation as the basis of our work to explore patterns of use and behaviors within the city.
- m.l.d. : And the result was quite surprising. How do you come to such ideas? I mean, what was the initial process that brought you so far away from regular patterns?
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S.W. : We basically commited ourselves to looking at things from a different angle. How do people sit? How do unofficial patterns of use define a city? How can people inform urban design? What can we learn from this behaviour? Who decides where things go? Who controls what? What new things can we stimulate? What effect can our project have? Does design have to influence people, or can it be influenced by them? It came down to observing the natural behaviours and responses people have with the things surrounding them. We came to notice that people don’t really feel like obeying to urban furniture. They much rather use the city on its own as urban furniture.
During the research process, the duo made some photshop mock-ups
- m.l.d. : Are you suggesting designers have failed at their mission, or rather that there is no need for design in the urban environment?
- S.W. : To be more specific, we had the feeling current design serves city-councils more than the users. Our answer as designers is what we now call PPS (Progressive Public Seating) – a seating concept that transforms existing architectural elements and unofficial seatings into official public seatings. It highlights curbs, walls, steps,… where people like to sit with a colourful and appropriate material. The options are endless and site specific.
- m.l.d. : What technical solutions did you find?
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S.W. : Following research into materials and application processes we discovered Polyurea; a material that can be applied on site, cures in 5 min and is fit for purpose in 20min. The material forms a thin coat of plastic that defines a location as a seat. This Polyurethane deriverate is also available in a sprayable form. It is usualy used for waterproofing and coating of roofs, pools, tanks,… It dries in 4 seconds and is ready for use after 20 minutes.
Spraying the material
... and removing it as easily
- m.l.d. : How do you imagine Virus could be used? Would it be something pedestrians install themselves?
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S.W. : We see PPS as an opportunity to conduct live research in collaboration with a local council. To address a specific urban environment, examine how it functions and explore how it can serve the public better. We propose that PPS be tested in an area over a period of time, so conclusive analysis can be drawn from live tests. Based on this research, PPS could be implemented permanently in the location.
We are excited by the possibilities that a project like this can expose and are keen to find the right people to work with in realising its potential. The possible outcomes of the project are unknown. However, PPS proposes a system where a council can commission this project to conduct a live experiment that promotes a dialogue between people and the city.
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