A sofa designed to raise awareness about rising sea levels
The dual-use piece of furniture turns into a raft in case of flooding. While the concept has a clever design conceit, it is intended to stimulate engagement and action-taking
During New York Design Week, a sofa like no other serves as a warning about rising waters, an environmental issue of particular concern to the Big Apple. The dual-use piece of furniture turns into a raft in case of flooding! While the concept has a clever design conceit, it is intended to stimulate engagement and action-taking.
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This dramatic consequence of climate change is international in scope and therefore awareness needs to be raised on an international level. While Tuvalu used new technologies in its awareness campaign, the Mother advertising agency is going straight to the point by suggesting that our reality will involve sitting on a raft rather than a sofa in our living rooms if no solution is found. So the design team has imagined a sofa suited for a submerged area, "furniture for a wet tomorrow," as it says on its site. Borrowing the distinctive orange color of a life jacket, the furniture transforms into a raft when the cushions are removed. Equipped with a gauge to assess the water level, the buoyant sofa prototype named Bliss is upholstered in a water-resistant fabric. The sofa comes with a matching ottoman that opens up to allow you to store your cocktail set inside. The sofa design is in fact a tongue-in-cheek comment on our inaction in response to rising waters; it includes a manual with satirical recommendations on how to react in case of finding oneself adrift at sea, inviting readers, for instance, to relax.
The Mother agency unveiled the prototype as part of Design Week in New York City, a destination particularly affected by rising waters. Its exhibition on Broadway at NYCxDesign is coming to an end, and it will then find a buyer for the modest sum of 100,000 dollars. Part of the proceeds will be donated to the United Nations refugee agency.
Last Updated :
May 26, 23 02:37:44 PM IST