What would public spaces look like if they had more home furniture that could be moved around by users?

This is the question put forward – and answered – by HASSELL designers, Romina Triboli and Filipa Matos via their installation, ‘Moving Lounges’.

‘Moving Lounges’ was exhibited at ‘PUBLIC House’, a Rapid Placemaking Art & Design project in Perth by not for profit arts consultancy FORM that aimed at engaging the public through a variety of public installations and street art.

Triboli and Matos wanted to activate the forgotten streets and laneways of Perth’s CBD by providing them with ‘home like’ street furniture with a twist - living rooms in the city.

This idea was achieved by using pallets on wheels, which allowed the installations to be moved where users wanted to be. This mobility further enabled the furniture to be used individually or in clusters, with upcycled furniture placed on the pallets.

Painted in bright colours, the base and furniture have contributed to the creation of urban places that are perfect for relaxation and community engagement.

“This project was highly satisfactory for both of us and everyone involved, and allowed us to test ideas that we aim to develop in a more permanent mode in the city,” say Triboli and Matos.

“Our aim of providing usable lounges for the laneways exceeded our expectations. It was enjoyed by dozens of curious visitors who would sit down for a chat, enjoy coffee, or even play a game of chess with a stranger, providing as well many photo opportunities with the art work in the background.

The urban project was part of PUBLIC House, a side-arm to FORM’s ongoing program PUBLIC – an artistic strategy devised to ignite curiosity and drive public awareness towards the innovative potential of under-utilised public spaces.

To find out more about PUBLIC, please visit www.form.net.au.

Photography by Douglas Mark Black.

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