5 - Seating for Public
Transport

red dot: best of the best
red dot award: design concept 2008

design:

Marcin Henk Kowalski

In public transport systems, the seat is the component that passengers are in most contact with. The 5 concept aims for comfort and aesthetic appeal as well as easy production, recycling and replacement.

5 offers a solution for public transport seating that not only provides a contemporary expression for the seat, but that can be easily assembled and dismantled. 5 is composed of five separate homogenous parts that are assembled by sliding into each other. The seat cushion and the cushioning on the back are first attached to a basic monobloc frame. The different components are then connected to give the overall configuration and formal expression of the seat. The seat is thereafter locked by a handlebar at the top. Each part is composed of a single material, which streamlines the processes of production, recycling and replacement. This provides a radically simplified approach to the assembly and dismantling of its parts for recycling.

The 5 module can be arranged according to the space and requirements of the transport system. Arranged side-by-side, the monobloc frame creates a partition that prevents dirt and litter from spreading through the whole vehicle and makes cleaning more efficient. The 5 set consists of rows of two seats down each side of the public transport vehicle, separated by a central corridor. Each row has three anchorage points on the floor. Two additional rails can traverse the roof for the placement of handlebars and so on.