Among the 30 or so benches offered by Swedish manufacturer Nola one finds a bench shaped like an elementary school water fountain (Saturnas) a bench resembling a gymnast’s balance beam (Nook), and a bench with a passing similarity to that mechanical bull from Urban Cowboy (Diagram), but the standout is clearly the model that looks like it came straight from the mind of Willy Wonka: Pylon.

Pylon. Designed by Nola.

Pylon’s Beautiful Beams are Simple Painted Pine

Pylon is the creation of designers Kristoffer Fagerström and Marcus Abrahamsson, who met at the University College of Art Craft and Design in Konstfack in 2006. The rumor is that the stubbornness of the one is matched only by the conviction of the other. However, I can only imagine that the sole argument apropos of Pylon was the order of the colors.

Indeed, the concept beyond Pylon is sheer, inspired simplicity. Long beams of pine are painted in a pastel rainbow of yellows, blues, greens, oranges, and magentas, then stacked willy-nilly alongside and on top of one another. A non-descript, yet charming white steel frame holds the whole ensemble in its welcoming arms.

Pylon is available in a wide range of colors and a variety of custom lengths. Though I’d like to see it in my foyer, Nola finds it appropriate across the public and commercial spectrums: “city squares, entrances, hotels, libraries, malls, museums, outdoor cafés, playgrounds, shopping malls, terraces, and waiting rooms.”

Via ChairBlog.

About the Manufacturer: Stockholm-based Nola lives in the outdoors. Their design niche is the man-made outdoor environment, and to that end they “design and deliver quality products that make urban environments a little bit more beautiful, and a whole lot easier to live in.” Nola’s line includes benches, chairs, and tables, not to mention planters, tree guards, trellises, and bike racks—if it’s part of the pedestrian infrastructure of the city, Nola would like to have a hand in it.