For the sake of simplicity, there are two broad seating categories: hard and soft. Hard seating you may find in a formal living room or a public area not looking to prolong your stay.  Here, you perch.  It is unlikely that you lean against the backrest (although this depends on your height, as well as the sofa’s depth), since you sit erect, with your feet planted on the ground.  This is the best option for face-to-face conversation.  Conversely, soft seating lets you sink in.  When one says, “curl up with a good book”, this is what they have in mind.  It need not be plush, but it must exude comfort.

Air. Designed by Daniel García Sanchez.

Young Spanish designer Daniel García Sanchez’s new two-seater, Air, avoids the stiff, rigidity of other bench-like forms. A thin metal frame provides the structure for thick, durable elastic bands which make up the body of Air. Marked by lightness, weightlessness and comfort, the simple lines prove dynamic through the elasticity of material. It is responsive and welcomes human interaction, adjusting its form accordingly to provide the appropriate level of support (and of course, ultimate comfort). The elastic bands conform to the human body.

People talk about how architecture defines human experiences and the way people interact with space. Imagine the difference between a park filled with your traditional wooden bench (a true hard seating option) versus one scattered with Air. The park would truly become a different place – not only for people occupying the benches but for the runners and walkers who pass by, thus interacting with them.

Ghisa bench, designed by Riccardo Blumer with Matteo Borghi for Alias Design is a flexible modular seating system that renceptualizes the bench while maintaining its traditional hard-seating form.  Pixel Burst, designed by Yves Behar for the Orange 22 Botanist Series, provides a decorative twist on the most simple form of a bench.