The opening of the completely revamped Koning Leopold III square in Blankenberge was a wonderful festive occasion. It marked one of the final stages of the extensive renovation of a number of streets and public spaces across the city. Streetlife supplied 31 Love Tubs to brighten up the square, especially during the winter months. In summer, these striking tree planters will make way for special events.
The City of Blankenberge requested engineering firm Plantec and Streetlife to collaborate on the development of a new visual identity for the makeover of several locations in the city. Since Blankenberge is a seaside town, the street furniture had to be resistant to the salty air. In consultation with the city council and Plantec, Streetlifeprovided stainless steel benches and tree planters from its ‘Love’ series.
The Streetlife Love series comprises benches and tree planters with a monolithic, conical shape. The benches have a seat made of hardwood Solid slats of 7x7 cm. The Love series was extended with a mono seat, the Love Cube, especially for Blankenberge. This smaller version of the Love Bench is a fine addition to the range. At the request of the city authority, the larger Love Benches were fitted with a backrest.
The Koning Leopold III square is a multifunctional public space and the renovation took this into account with a striking, creative solution. During the winter months, the multi-stemmed birch trees with evergreen ground cover plants give the paved square an intimate feel and decorative appearance. In summer, however, it can be transformed into an events location. The Love Tubs are moveable and can be easily shifted to the edge of the square by forklift.
To achieve harmony, the same colours and materials for paving and furniture were applied throughout the various public spaces that formed part of the project. In line with the city council’s requirements, this ensured a consistent visual identity that was certainly helped by the strong levels of coherence to be found within the
Love series. The consistent appearance across Streetlife’s various product families inspires urban designers to develop such coordinated landscaping plans.
Streetlife delivered 27 Cubes, 33 tree planters and 16 benches over three phases of the multiannual renovation project.
| Delivery: | 2018 |
| Location: | Koning Leopold III plein |
| City: | Blankenberge, Belgium |
