Housing & Furniture Codexery

Bench (furniture)

A long seat for multiple people, often found outdoors.

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Bench (furniture)

Kritzolina · CC BY-SA 4.0

A bench is a long seat that can be made from materials like adobe, aluminum, cast iron, concrete, fiberglass, powder-coated steel, recycled plastic, or thermoplastic.[1] Benches are often named for their location, such as park benches or garden benches, and vary in capacity.[2] Some benches are designed for specific uses, including leaning benches and church pews.[3]

Benches at Oakes Garden Theatre, Niagara Falls, Canada
Benches at Oakes Garden Theatre, Niagara Falls, Canada. Image: Maksim Sokolov (maxergon.com) · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Quick Facts

Field
Furniture
Common materials
  • Wood
  • metal
  • stone
  • synthetic materials
Typical uses
  • Seating in parks
  • gardens
  • public areas
  • and indoor spaces

Facts from the source article.

Key facts and history

Concrete benches are very heavy and are often installed in permanent facilities like military bases and state parks.[1] Recycled plastic benches are low maintenance, resist rot and rust, and are suitable for salty ocean-side environments.[4][1] A high percentage of recycled plastic in benches is often post-consumer material and can contribute to LEED certification.[1] Leaning benches, or "leaners," were installed by SEPTA in Philadelphia as part of a $16,000 pilot program to improve foot traffic and promote social distancing.[5]

A bench in Senglea
A bench in Senglea. Image: Kritzolina · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

SEPTA stated that traditional benches did not encourage social distancing or discourage sleeping by non-customers.[5] Fiberglass benches, which do not corrode or rust, are versatile and are frequently installed in food courts and office buildings.[1] Entryways at retail centers and medical facilities often have powder-coated steel benches lining them.[1]

Bench - Jardim Municipal do Funchal
Bench - Jardim Municipal do Funchal. Image: H. Zell · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

What the cited sources add

The Barco Products company states that its recycled plastic benches are designed for long-term outdoor use and may be portable, surface mount, or inground mount.[4] A 2021 Philly Voice article reports that SEPTA's leaning benches were criticized by riders, including a woman recovering from leg surgery who said benches are needed for elderly people and those with disabilities.[5] The same article notes that internal documents suggested SEPTA was possibly motivated by deterring people experiencing homelessness from sleeping on benches.[5] Organizer Yasha Zarrinkelk described the leaners as a form of "anti-homeless architecture" that disproportionately targets vulnerable populations.[5]

Carved wooden bench furniture and crafts at Heuan Chan heritage house in Luang Prabang Laos
Carved wooden bench furniture and crafts at Heuan Chan heritage house in Luang Prabang Laos. Image: Basile Morin · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Bench in Poulsbo
Bench in Poulsbo. Image: Steven Pavlov · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

The Philly Voice article also states that while 25 benches were removed and replaced with leaners, several sitting benches remained at the pilot stations.[5]

2011-11-25, Bench in Buckley, Washington
2011-11-25, Bench in Buckley, Washington. Image: Steven Pavlov · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

References

  1. Wikipedia, "Bench (furniture)" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Recycled Plastic Outdoor Benches", Barco Products (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  2. Wikipedia, "Bench (furniture)" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Hazel Evans, "Patio garden", Frances Lincoln ltd, 2006 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  3. Wikipedia, "Bench (furniture)" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Hannah Kanik, "SEPTA replaces sitting benches with 'leaners,' upsets some riders", Philly Voice, 18 Aug 2021; Tony Bizjak, "This odd new device downtown has bus riders confused. Hint: It's for your derriere", The Sacramento Bee, 11 Jun 2021 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  4. "Recycled Plastic Outdoor Benches", Barco Products. facts only, no text reused. barcoproducts.com
  5. Hannah Kanik, "SEPTA replaces sitting benches with 'leaners,' upsets some riders", Philly Voice, 18 Aug 2021. facts only, no text reused. phillyvoice.com

Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Bench (furniture) (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.

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Sources

Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.

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