“Airport Bench” is not a product we see that often here on 3rings, but that doesn’t mean designers and manufacturers across the world aren’t trying their darnedest to come up with the best and latest. The Series 8000 by Porsche Design Studio for Kusch+Co. joins the ranks of perennial contract manufacturer Herman Miller (see Eames Tandem Sling Seating) and Figueras (Mauro 3100) in establishing a presence among the airports of the world. The latter have made a name for themselves in Chicago and Barcelona respectively, while the Series 8000 is bucking for none other than Vienna, as this city of old glam goes new: after Series 8000 debuted at the Passenger Terminal Expo in 2010, VIA ordered 450 units.

Series 8000. Designed by Porsche Design Studio for Kusch+Co.

Modular Bench Seating with a Contemporary Aesthetic

If a city’s international airport can be said to reflect the character of the metropolis, Vienna has gone onward to the future. The 8000 line is slim and sleek, functional and smart—a perfectly comfortable and utilitarian stopover for the weary traveler (who nevertheless must shoulder on, laptop in tow). The 8000 series is wide yet stable. A wooden core and polyurethane foam interior provide comfort and durability. Individual and customizable color schemes take the airport’s prevailing aesthetic to heart. And though the signature look for 8000 is a minimalistic yet marvelous perforated metal, Kusch+Co’s wide array of finishes (from leather to fabric to the mid-century modern flair of laminated wood) convey a distinctive personality, especially for something as potentially mundane as a public bench. But then, “bench” is a misleading term here. The Series 8000’s modularity gives the lie to that fixed notion, as units are easily disassembled into individual posts, seats, arms, and bases, thus facilitating ease of transportation, maintenance, cleaning, and assembly, as well as cutting down significantly on shipping volume. All of this adds up to contract seating we not only can live with, but learn to love.

About the Manufacturer: Kusch+Co is a prominent manufacturer of public seating and tables. Founded some 70 years back in the Sauerland region of Germany by Ernst Kusch, the company and all of its employees live by the famed Kusch credo: “Quality is irreplaceable.” Kusch+Co. has expanded the philosophy beyond the product to mean a quality work environment as well as a quality manufacturing process. This dedication to principles shows in a pronounced environmental awareness, green production, and sustainable resource management, as well as in functional design, exemplary ergonomics, and superior craftsmanship.