'BRB-Bike Rack/ Bench' by esla

Extremely stylish and elegant. It really separates the space of people from the space of bikes, while allowing for enough room to park bikes. Very smart and ingenious idea! It will make our cities greener, happier, more elegant and more social. This design has a double benefit:

- A bench where you would just have bike racks. So people can stop, sit and socialize, making the city more livable.

- A bike rack where you would just have a bench. To create more bike parking spots in an elegant and minimal way.

I really like this design because bike racks are not considered wasted space anymore, but part of the city!

I particularly like the aerodynamic feel of the bike rack/bench armrests. The structural approach to the problem of bike parking and usable space is simple and innovative. It's amazing that nobody's done it this way before.

This is a clever idea. How do you imagine the combined racks would be sited? Both sides need good access. Benches are usually located at the back of a pedestrian way - the pictures you show have grass behind them. Bike racks are often against buildings or next to the curb. If a bench were added to the bike rack you show, it would face a wall. Maybe two units could be placed on the side of a sidewalk with the benches facing each other...

cool way to respond to two needs at once.  Comment above wonders about siting.. I wonder if you could do a smaller unit that would fit into small spaces in various spots, or, as s/he says, break up the longer rack into units that face each other or whatever else. 

All the kudos about being stylish, elegant and innovative are well deserved, but I have questions about the economic and functional practicality of this idea. Questions like: How would the production cost per unit of this design compare to a combo of current in-production bench and bicycle rack? I don't see that this design saves practical space in comparison to a combination of a current in-production bench and current in-production bicycle rack, and forcing them to be placed together imposes a constraint that would not exist if at installation we had the flexibility of placing them separately as available space permits. For all its elegant beauty, I think there are better designs that provide more flexibility for attaching a bicycle for a bike rack, The low end of the curved pipe (farthest from the back of the bench) in the proposed design is practically useless (for attaching a bike). Bicycles come in many sizes and shapes, and this design doesn't accommodate as many of the various sizes and shapes as other in-production racks do already. Although I find this design graphically appealing, as a cyclist looking for a place to secure my trusty steed, I think there are better choices, more practical in terms of functionality and cost.

Please!  We need these now!

I love the color of the metal.  It looks chic and sleek.  The curvature appears to support the head, neck, and back as if it is ergonomic.  I appreciate the concept of parking a bike next to the side of the armrests which keeps the bikes visible and close to the riders (if they are sitting on the bench) yet do not take up a lot of space.  Placing the bikes behind the bench keeps the bikes out of view if you are looking at the bench from the front (looking at the people sitting down) yet close enough where a bike rider/owner could walk a few steps and retrieve their bicycle.  Great use of space in a crowded area like downtown or busy sidewalks/streets.

The design is so elegant. The metal is so cool. The idea is both social and practical. The bench is a good way to meet others bikers and have some chat in relax. In the towns an easy way to stop, read, look around and talk watching the bike.