City Benches

In 2021, Nick was one of nine emerging designers selected to take part in the London Festival of Architecture’s City Benches series. Nick’s design took fragments of litter – coffee cups, plastic bottles, takeaway packaging etc – and sealed these within concrete and resin, elevating a litter strewn surface into terrazzo. By repurposing the detritus of the transient commuter city into a new object of permanence and status, the bench – titled ‘Do you care about your city?’ was a reminder that litter is not temporary, and that while much of what we throw out every day is single-use, it still has a lasting impact on our streets and environment.

The bench was installed on Cheapside in the City of London for three months, in the shadow of St Paul’s Cathedral, before being donated to Kingsford Community School, Newham.

Fabricator: Smith & Goat