Mobile street furniture made from recycled materials
In the summer of 2017, the Imagina Madrid program commissioned us to create seven letters: I.M.A.G.I.N.A, which would travel to different public squares to host community activities before becoming part of the Matadero Madrid facilities.
In line with our Second Lives design philosophy, the choice of materials prioritizes reuse. For the platforms, we use wood from decommissioned benches in the city of Madrid, a recycling project that began with the Herminio Operation during Conama 14. Additionally, streetlight globes from the public lighting storage facility are repurposed to compose the seven letters. These materials, originally designed for public spaces, are given a second life and stand out for their durability and resistance, ensuring their functionality over time.
The I.M.A.G.I.N.A. letters are designed to travel. The design is optimized to facilitate transport and reduce fuel consumption. Furthermore, the integration of photovoltaic solar panels with batteries, twilight sensors, and high-efficiency lighting transforms the installation into furniture powered entirely by clean energy.
I.M.A.G.I.N.A. is accompanied by plants sourced from municipal nurseries in the areas where the letters are installed, which are largely watered with reused water.
The letters serve multiple functions in urban environments, including as benches, tables, or spaces for gatherings. Their autonomous lighting system also allows them to be installed anywhere, even for nighttime events.
The design considers a long lifecycle, enabling the project, initially conceived as ephemeral, to have second and third lives. I.M.A.G.I.N.A. returns to the Madrid City Council as furniture crafted from the remains of its own urban infrastructure, ready to continue occupying and enriching the city’s public spaces.
