Manga Sitting Bench by Enrique Minguez Ros is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2022 A' Design Award in Garden and Outdoor Furniture Design Competition Category.
IronOutdoor Furniture· 2022
Manga Sitting Bench
Client: QZ Urban Furniture
A' Design Award Winner in Outdoor Furniture Category
Verified Award Winner
Verify Award Status for #140197The Design
About Manga Sitting Bench
Urban elements contribute to giving cities a human scale, identity, and collective meaning. The design idea for the Manga Bench starts from the maritime context, a place for which it has been designed, using technology and materials typical of nautical engineering. Inspired by marine life it is capable of awakening emotions in urban and natural environments. The purity of the lines and the roundness between planes of the Manga Bench, reinforce the brightness and textures typical of fiberglass and concrete. When the bench is not occupied, its soft undulating shapes make it a sculptural element.
The Recognition
About the A' Design Award
Manga Sitting Bench is an Iron A' Design Award winner, a prestigious recognition granted to good designs that meet the professional and industrial requirements expected from well-designed creations. Iron winners demonstrate great skill, high specialization, expert understanding, and creative capacity of their creators. Manga Sitting Bench is expected to be a highly regarded, admired, and cherished creation that is practical and innovative. This Iron A' Design Award-winning design integrates industry best practices and has competent technical characteristics linked with know-how and talent. Manga Sitting Bench is respected for its thoroughness and is designed to provide quality of life improvements that help make the world a better place.
Interviews
Grand Interview
Your innovative approach to the Manga Sitting Bench draws inspiration from marine life and maritime contexts - could you elaborate on how specific elements of marine biology influenced its undulating forms and sculptural presence?
One specific influence was the concept of biomimicry, where we studied how marine organisms optimize their structures for fluidity and resilience. For example, the bench's backrest echo the sinuosity of the fins and the wavy shapes mimic the forms created in the water.For us, any natural element has a weight in the space that should not be lost, and the formal abstraction of these elements allows us to transmit intangibles to a product by conveying an idea.
The Manga Sitting Bench masterfully combines fiberglass technology from nautical engineering with sustainable materials - what led you to explore this unique material combination, and how does it enhance both the functionality and environmental impact of the design?
The relationship between fibreglass and the marine world is a direct one, as the hulls of ships are mainly made of this material, for its strength-to-weight ratio, durability, and ability to withstand harsh outdoor conditions, such as UV exposure and humidity. Its malleability allowed us to achieve the sculptural, undulating forms that are central to the bench's aesthetic, reflecting the fluidity of marine life.Sustainability is one of the company's values, together with technology and high-level design.We believe in improving the quality of life of society and, from our point of view, this involves the pedestrianisation of cities and the increase of public places that favour interaction between people and have a positive influence on the psychology of the people who live in them.
The ergonomic profile of the Manga Sitting Bench creates an inviting space for contemplation - how did you balance the technical requirements of comfort with your vision for creating an emotionally resonant urban sculpture?
Balancing the technical requirements of comfort with the vision for an emotionally resonant urban sculpture in the Manga Sitting Bench required a meticulous design approach. We aimed to create a piece that was not only functional but also deeply engaging, encouraging users to pause, reflect, and connect with their surroundings.From an ergonomic standpoint, the bench’s curved profile was carefully modeled to provide natural lumbar support and accommodate various seating postures. By studying human biomechanics and the way people interact with public seating, we developed dimensions and angles that promote comfort for users of all ages and body types. Prototypes were tested extensively to ensure that the bench feels as good as it looks.On the sculptural side, we drew inspiration from the organic undulations of marine life, which lend the bench its fluid, wave-like form. These flowing shapes invite curiosity and interaction, making the bench more than a seating solution—it becomes a focal point within the urban landscape. The interplay of shadows and light across its surface transforms it into a dynamic presence that evolves throughout the day.The integration of these elements was achieved by adopting parametric design tools, which allowed us to precisely balance ergonomics with artistry. This ensured that the sculptural aesthetic did not compromise the technical comfort or usability.
Behind the Design
Press Kit
Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.
- Unique Properties
- A bench of elegant simplicity with organic shapes.
The purity of the lines and the roundness between planes of the Manga Bench, reinforces the brightness and textures typical of fiberglass and concrete.
When the bench is not occupied, its soft undulating shapes make it a sculptural element.
Minimalist in design, its comfortable ergonomic profile and soft undulations invite contemplation and serenity. - Dimensions & Packaging
- The measurements are 300 x 82 x 76 cm. The seat base is 44 cm from the ground.
- Tags
- Marine life, Sculptural, Fiberglass, Sustainability, Minimalist, Ergonomic
- Production Technology
- The materials used in the Manga Bench are committed to sustainability and the development of pioneering technologies (fiberglass, fiber-reinforced concrete or mechanical recycling of plastic R-PET). Environmentally friendly materials with a real component of sustainability, circularity and safety.
Using technology and materials typical of nautical engineering, the Manga Bench has taken into account its environmental impact during all the stages of its existence: extraction of raw materials, production, distribution, use, reuse, recycling and waste management. - Design Challenge
- The main challenge was the design of a large urban element with dynamic undulating forms.
The big obstacle, given its size, was to demould the piece, so it was necessary to redraw the initial sketch.
In a second phase, the thickness of the planned fiberglass layer was reduced and the upper part of the backrest was reinforced with fiberglass mesh.
Today, thanks to the technology and materials used in nautical engineering, the production of fibreglass benches is very simple. - Research
- The research is based on the design of an urban element that contributes to giving cities a human scale, identity and collective meaning.
The aim was to create a piece based on marine life and the maritime context, using nautical engineering technologies and materials, so a model and a mould were developed to obtain the designed piece.
The Manga bench has been made of fiberglass. A material that is capable of awakening emotions both in urban environments and in natural areas. - Inspiration
- The design idea for the Manga Bench starts from the maritime context, a place for which it has been designed, using technology and materials typical of nautical engineering.
Inspired by marine life, it is capable of awakening emotions in urban and natural environments. - Project Duration
- The project started in September 2019 and finished in June 2020 in Cartagena (Spain). It was exhibited in the port of Cartagena (2020) and Colegio Oficial de Arquitectos de Murcia (COAMU), Murcia, (Spain) in 2022.
- Operation Flow
- This piece not only fulfils the function of a seat but also provides an aesthetic value when it is placed in the urban space: seafronts, ports, squares, streets and boulevards.
- Patents
- Patented. 08/2020/621. Enrique Mínguez Ros. 2020. Intellectual property.
- Team Members
- Enrique Mínguez Ros and Enrique Mínguez Martínez
- Image Credits
- Image #1: Photographer David Frutos, Manga Bench, 2020.
Image #2: Photographer David Frutos, Manga Bench, 2020.
Image #3: Photographer David Frutos, Manga Bench, 2020.
Image #4: Photographer David Frutos, Manga Bench, 2020.
Image #2: Photographer David Frutos, Manga Bench, 2020.
Sponsored
Explore Beyond Designers.org
Discover products, services and opportunities from our advertising partners.
More to Explore
Related Designs
Explore more award-winning designs from the same category, selected by merit.
