Romeo & Juliet

Romeo & Juliet – romance in the city

What would you do when three young architects come up with an idea that charms you straightaway? Well, then you just help them to commercialise it, don't you? In 2004 Stijn Goethals, Koen Baeyens, and Basile Graux entered Romeo & Juliet for a street furniture design competition organised by the city of Kortrijk. Their concept does not only offer passers-by a comfortable place to sit and relax, it also adds a touch of green to an often colourless urban or industrial setting.

Apart together

The bench is made of long square strips of wood. Two round holes in the seat create room for large flowerpots containing a small tree. Just as Romeo and Juliet, the trees are destined to be together without being able to ever touch each other. The bench seems to float between the trees.

Obviously, Romeo & Juliet lends itself perfectly for the contract market: When several benches are put in line, the distance between the trees remains identical, creating architectural harmony. They are of course also perfectly suited to private gardens or patios.

An added bonus is the 10 cm space between the flowerpot and the flowerpot cover, to which the bench is attached. It serves as a water reservoir, but also offers the tree roots plenty of 'breathing space' to prevent them from rotting.

Facts & figures

· Romeo & Juliet measures 320 by 74 cm.
· The materials used are FSC labelled hardwood (Iroko) for the seat, galvanised stainless steel for the frame, and polyester for the flowerpots.
· Each Romeo & Juliet comes standard with two flowerpots and two flowerpot covers. The pots have a shiny appearance contrasting beautifully with the mat wood.

Trees not included.