Work began today on installing the first BIG C armchair on Johannisplatz. From Wednesday, the completed armchair will invite people to linger. The BIG C armchair on Johannisplatz is part of a series of six pieces of seating furniture that will be installed at various locations in Chemnitz over the coming weeks. This will make a special project for innovative urban design accessible to the Chemnitz public. The street furniture made of lightweight concrete stands for modern design and durability and offers passers-by the opportunity to sit and linger in public spaces.
The original idea for the BIG C was provided by Chemnitz artist Carsten Grundmann. Based on this, Chemnitz University of Technology, together with architect Falko Hensel and employees from the City of Chemnitz's building management and structural engineering departments, developed the design that has now been realised.
The prototype of the BIG C armchair was manufactured in the laboratory of the "Lightweight Construction in Civil Engineering" research department at the Chair of Lightweight Structures/Plastics Processing at Chemnitz University of Technology. The final six pieces of street furniture were manufactured by Medicke GmbH, a Glauchau-based company with many years of experience in the field of modern façade construction.
The basic body of the C-shaped street furniture was made of concrete reinforced with carbon fibre grids to enable a durable, maintenance-free and filigree design. A high-strength fine concrete with CO₂-reduced cement was used for a particularly sustainable exposed concrete quality, supplemented by a special formwork system for the concrete casting.
In order to realise the cost-effective production of the curved special component, a 100 percent recyclable corrugated cardboard formwork developed in collaboration with Richter & Heß was used for the first time.
For additional seating comfort, the seating surfaces in the lower curve of the approximately 1.80 metre high BIG C were fitted with ergonomically shaped wooden slats.
The costs amount to around 15,000 euros per chair.
Mayor Thomas Kütter: "With its clear, curved shape, the armchair blends harmoniously into various urban environments - whether in public squares, green spaces or cultural meeting places. The name BIG C is a tongue-in-cheek reference to the first letter of the city of Chemnitz and emphasises the connection with the region.
The six BIG Cs, whose design combines a modern design language with innovative materials of high resistance, are an example of responsible and future-orientated urban design. The project shows how design, research and regional economic power can work together in the interests of sustainability."
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