National Portrait Gallery Bench

Project Info

These bespoke benches, made for the National Portrait Gallery, offer a contemporary take on the Victorian-era love/conversation seat.

Designed to allow viewing of the paintings from both directions, the benches balance intimacy with spatial privacy by providing physical separation from one side to the other.

Honouring both the historic and contemporary aspects of the building, the benches are made using two carefully selected timbers. American black walnut is chosen to compliment the historic herringbone teak floor, while oak is paired with the modern concrete flooring.

The twisting geometry of the benches is achieved with a combination of CNC technology and traditional craft, resulting in significant and beautiful pieces that enrich the public space of the gallery.