You could call it an experiment in social engineering, or simply a good excuse to talk to a cute stranger – either way, the entire thing is somewhat far-fetched but so playfully imaginative you can’t help but want to try sitting at one.

Dutch designer, Teun, pictures these rocking seats in both private and public settings as sort of three-dimensional teeter-totters dependent on multiple people to make them ‘work’ as intended.

“Waiting in public spaces always could be more fun. With that goal I designed the CHITCHAT. A swinging seat from multiplex or polyester for one to seven people. If you take a seat, you bring the furniture and everyone who is sitting on it in motion. This almost always leads to interaction. It has something surprising and you get to talk about it to your neighbor. Strangers are searching together for the best balance.The ice breaks, the atmosphere improves and the waiting is less boring.The ‘rocking trees’ in the middle provide a playful effect, especially with more CHITCHATS in one space.” 

Interested? You can get one or more of these rocking group seats from Design Meubels starting at €8,200 depending on the options you choose. The ChitChat is available in polyester (white for both indoor and outdoor use, other RAL colors only for indoor use), in polyester with wooden seat (price on request) and in a fully wooden version (price on request). 

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About the designer:

“Teun Fleskens is a product and interior designer. In a few words his style could be described as experimental, communicating, pure, natural versus industrial and clearly present but not demanding. What’s most important about his designs is that my products are not only functional but overall meaningful. The concept is very important. This can be a serious statement or just making a smile appear: capturing the essence of this conceptual thinking into a minimalistic design.”

The post ChitChat: Public Seating that Rocks first appeared on Dornob.