Blade.

Blade is a concrete urban bench designed by Stéphane Chapelet. Originally created for Rue du Portier in Monaco, it has a monolithic, very simple form inspired by the automotive world. It became a Lab23® catalogue product, made in Italy.

Sculpted like a car

The studio worked on Blade as if it were sculpting a car. The inspiration comes from clay vehicle models, which car designers sculpt with a blade. At the bottom, the forms are simple and curved. They are then cut by sharp edges that create sculpted reliefs.

A name taken from the blade

Its name evokes these cuts: each edge recalls the gesture that carves the clay.

Designed for Rue du Portier, Monaco

For Rue du Portier, Blade was given a base that stops ram-raiding vehicles. The bench protects pedestrians, which is very reassuring, while remaining a welcoming seat: safety is built into the design.

A concrete monolith

Made of concrete, Blade combines the sturdiness public space requires with the precision of its edges. Its solid volumes and hollows play with light throughout the day. At 2 metres long, Blade seats three.

A Lab23® catalogue product

After Monaco, Blade joined the Lab23® catalogue. It is made in Italy and suits city streets, squares, forecourts and promenades.

Lab23, an Italian manufacturer, makes street furniture in Italy from steel, Corten, wood and Hypergranite. It shows the studio's designs alongside those of Zaha Hadid, at Milan's Fuorisalone and in the specialist press.

Technical specifications

Length 2000 mm, width 430 mm, height 430 mm

Material: UHPC concrete or hypergranite