Bob Betong
A collaboration between Blå Station and Starka
Bob has been waiting to go outdoors since its successful launch in 2017. The free-
flowing sofa for indoor use has now been adapted to all kind of seasons in a close
collaboration between Blå Station and Starka, which has 80 years of experience in
the manufacture of concrete for special applications. The heavy-duty version of Stefan
Borselius and Thomas Bernstrand’s meticulously designed modular sofa system will
furnish public space all around the city with generous seatings for everyone. Have a
break, eat your lunch, read a book, wait for a friend. Bob Betong will offer comfortable
meeting places in parks, town squares and along sidewalks. The seating elements can
be built in straight lines, placed at an angle or in zigzag-patterns which will allow for
a major upgrade of the public sphere. Bob Betong’s rounded soft forms will break up
monotonous and anonymous surroundings, at the same time acting as a sturdy physical
barrier protecting citizens on foot from invasive and stressful traffic. Bob Betong can
be used to enrich new public spaces or give older ones a new life, while at the same
time securing the city from all kind of threats. Bob Betong will also be at ease around
entrances to companies as well as public institutions where the city as a place for
growing together is enhanced. Bob Betong will contribute to a reborn public space
where citizens will have the opportunity to conquer the city anew and create places
for debate, meetings, and of course life itself.
Bob Betong is cast by the concrete manufacturer Starka in seating sections, which weigh
in at 250 kilogram. Up to 9 Bob Betong can be attached together, and they can also be
fixed into the ground or to concrete slabs. The close collaboration between Blå Station
and Starka offers a solution that will furnish public space with accommodating seatings,
which also acts as safety barriers with impact resistance. Bob Betong comes in concrete
grey, but will be available in other colours for projects. The concrete is impregnated to
give a resistant and maintenance free surface. Optional anti-graffiti coating is available.
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