3187 Cheoungju, 2008

International Craft Biennale 2009

Upon entering the city hall people find their way to the waiting area, to take a seat between community members and city visitors. Strangers and fellow citizens sit alongside each other and wait to be served. Once a seat is chosen in the seating arrangement, it’s hard to switch places. Usually these areas are for sitting only, people are squeezed into rows of seats to wait for their turn. These waiting benches offer an escape from this packed unease and time can be used more efficiently. Swiveling seats with small table tops enable the visitor to work at a miniature desk or just politely turn away from someone who’s to close for comfort. Waiting is not forced into one posture, it becomes an active pastime. The contrast between the rigid wooden structure and the smooth surface of an Eames seat shows the purpose of these different elements. The curved seat provides comfort while an assembly of slats offers support, and is denser where necessary.