Hack A Bench: Enhancing Public Spaces through Design

Promoting Arts and Community Engagement

Public spaces play a crucial role in fostering community interaction and cultural experiences. Hack A Bench takes this concept further by reimagining public benches and reshaping the ways people sit and interact in parks. The design team has created 10 curving art benches that attach to existing park benches, offering citizens a fresh perspective on their surroundings and providing spaces for community events in uncommonly-used areas such as lawns and ponds.

What sets Hack A Bench apart is its focus on reimagining public spaces and catalyzing community activities. The design encourages citizens to look at their surroundings from different angles, sparking creativity and fostering a sense of belonging. The project's unique properties lie in its ability to promote social engagement and create a park culture that inspires new perspectives and possibilities.

The realization of Hack A Bench involved the application of design probes such as The Briefcase and temporary bamboo sculptures. Additionally, participatory site-specific dance performances were organized to achieve social design outcomes. This multidisciplinary approach ensured that the project not only enhanced the physical aspects of public spaces but also created meaningful experiences for the community.

Located in Hong Kong's Aldrich Bay Park, Hack A Bench has been a multi-stage project that started in August 2016. Extensive community research and development events were conducted to gather insights and understand the needs of park users. The bench enhancements were installed in June 2017, followed by the creation of online social media engagement videos in May 2018. Durational site-specific dance performances and community engagement workshops took place in subsequent years, further enriching the park's cultural offerings.

Overcoming challenges posed by strict public space management regulations was a major hurdle for the designers. The existing park benches were designed with armrests and backrests to discourage homelessness and limit movement. However, Hack A Bench successfully navigated these constraints by reorienting the benches towards visually pleasing open areas such as the sky, the lawn, and the pond. These small changes transformed the park into clusters of cultural experiences and facilitated the organization of cultural events and temporary art installations.

Hack A Bench has received recognition for its innovative approach to social design. The project was awarded the Bronze A' Design Award in 2021, acknowledging its outstanding creativity and resourcefulness. This accolade highlights the project's contribution to improving quality of life and making the world a better place through the integration of art, science, design, and technology.

By reimagining public benches and promoting community engagement, Hack A Bench has successfully transformed public spaces into vibrant cultural hubs. Its unique design and focus on social interaction have created a park culture that inspires creativity and fosters a sense of belonging. With its positive impact on the community, Hack A Bench serves as a testament to the power of design in enhancing our everyday lives.