Longest Bench, Littlehampton
Designed by Studio Weave, Built by Millimetre
Designed by Studio Weave, Built by Millimetre
Whilst working for Millimetre I was involved in the delivery of the Longest Bench in Littlehampton.
millimetre were commisioned by Studio Weave to realise their design for the promenade along Littlehamption sea front. The site follows a redbrick wall which accompanies the promenade. millimetre provided value engineering, design, development, fabrication and installation of the bench and shelters.
The work consists of a 340 metre long bench and two windshelters fabricated in Stainless Steel, reclaimed timber and nylon coated steel. The shelters are monocock steel structures, fabricated in mild steel with a hotmetal spray in aluminium bronze. The Shelters are fabricated using shipbuilding methods to create a twisting form.
“The Longest Bench has the physical quality of a boardwalk, woven into the existing environment and resting on its habitat, forming a chain connecting together a collection of charm-places. A simple component is arrayed to accommodate the complex shapes called for by the form of the wall and the activities which take place along it.” (Studio Weave)
millimetre were commisioned by Studio Weave to realise their design for the promenade along Littlehamption sea front. The site follows a redbrick wall which accompanies the promenade. millimetre provided value engineering, design, development, fabrication and installation of the bench and shelters.
The work consists of a 340 metre long bench and two windshelters fabricated in Stainless Steel, reclaimed timber and nylon coated steel. The shelters are monocock steel structures, fabricated in mild steel with a hotmetal spray in aluminium bronze. The Shelters are fabricated using shipbuilding methods to create a twisting form.
“The Longest Bench has the physical quality of a boardwalk, woven into the existing environment and resting on its habitat, forming a chain connecting together a collection of charm-places. A simple component is arrayed to accommodate the complex shapes called for by the form of the wall and the activities which take place along it.” (Studio Weave)
The bench is made from recycled wooden slats and nylon coated colour bars
There are two shelters at each end of the bench where the wooden slats go a little crazy.
The bronze sprayed shelters are in the form of a twisted strip.
The Bench
There are a number of different movements along the bench
Instalation of the shelters
The shelters were prefabricated off site by Specialized Fabrications using ship building techniques.
Fabrication of the 'Squiggles'
The different sections of the 'Squiggles' were welded together to create the bench within the structures.
The 'Squiggles' were fabricated using a number of techniques to produce the complicated geometry of the 3D L sections.
Fabrication of the shelters
The roof of the structure is made from a number of ribs and overlayed with 5mm steel
Construction of the bench
Dropdown movement without slats.
Instalation of one of the four 'setbacks'
