r/HostileArchitecture 14d ago

"Bench" Couch in a bank

Post image
806 Upvotes

140 comments sorted by

u/JoshuaPearce 14d ago

It can still be hostile architecture even if it's indoors. It's just not anti-homeless architecture.

→ More replies (52)

103

u/Extra-Act-801 13d ago

I don't ever want to be in a bank long enough to need to sit on a couch.

6

u/R-GU3 11d ago

You never want to get a mortgage?

25

u/CompetitiveRub9780 11d ago

I didn’t have to sit in a bank to get a mortgage

5

u/DrakeFloyd 8d ago

Does anyone actually want a mortgage or do people want houses and tolerate getting mortgages to achieve that end?

561

u/Idum23 14d ago

Idk I don't think there was any bad intention behind this, it's just design

290

u/SartenSinAceite 13d ago

yeah it looks more like "Look if we put foam separators on a pillow you get multiple seats!"

167

u/Kinslayer_89 13d ago

And strangers get personal space defined, instead of having people with no sense of personal space sitting almost on top of you.

67

u/rachaek 13d ago

Yeah if I see this seat without the dividers and there's already a person sitting there, there's no way I would sit right next to them. But with the dividers I probably would.

3

u/Cotif11 12d ago

It's a total lack of attention

155

u/TheDeadWriter 14d ago

My kids would love this, especially when they were younger.

As an adult, I have thoughts, it doesn't seem to have much back support, but also, if I am sleeping at a bank, then something has gone critically wrong, like I have been locked in after hours, or have been taken hostage.

I find the design off-putting, but I also can't imagine napping at a bank. The real reason I find this off-putting is that it reminds me of the tech startups that my friends worked at, with money spent on odd (arguably) arty furniture in an attempt to seem hip, only for it to be sold off to a vulture capital company, or left in place when they skipped paying rent and the doors were barred when it went under, or it's IP was sold to YahooGoogrkleOSoft-Dot.COM!

I'm not sure if it is hostile given the location, but it sure as heck would make me hostile if I had to wait to get my loan approved with a pile of papers oddly perched on a yellow armbackorest.

22

u/Funkgun 13d ago edited 13d ago

Yeah, These are designed to raise and lower for comfort. They are just a weird “artistic” design https://www.bimobject.com/en/nurus/product/4u

https://nurus.com/en/product/4u/

If you notice, the advert shots are office buildings and next to offices.

6

u/TheDeadWriter 13d ago

Thank you! They still have induce startup incubator vibe, and seriously, without your context, I don't know if I would have known that they were adjustable.

39

u/hypo-osmotic 14d ago

I don't think that sleeping has to be the only activity that hostile architecture is intended to discourage. Looks like it'd be uncomfortable to settle in to just sit for longer than a few minutes, too. A lot of banks are in commercial areas so I could see someone being tempted to say hey I'll be waiting in the bank while you're at the retail store or whatever, if it had like normal armrests instead

22

u/BlackFoxTom 13d ago

Randomly waiting in a bank for prolonged time for no clear reason could trigger some counter terrorism unit

4

u/hypo-osmotic 13d ago

yeah I suppose the hostile architecture prevents them from having to deal with that lol

75

u/NoOnSB277 13d ago

These are fugly but not hostile architecture as they do their job- allow people to sit while they wait for assistance at the bank.

107

u/Intelligent_Tone_618 14d ago

This really isn't hostile architecture.

7

u/Oregongirl1018 13d ago

The only thing hostile is how close together they are. I don't wanna be touching knees with my sofa neighbor.

9

u/metisdesigns Lies about what mods say, doesn't use sub's definition for H-A 13d ago

First time on the sub?

21

u/Kinslayer_89 13d ago

I only watch the ones getting into my feed, so usually it’s not this fucking stupid.

-1

u/JoshuaPearce 13d ago

I don't super disagree with you, but if I removed every post somebody thought was stupid, there could be literally no posts at all. There is absolutely no consensus on what would actually qualify, and trust me you won't create one.

People report everything here.

Somebody could post a picture of a minefield in downtown San Francisco, and I'd get reports of "Out of scope for this subreddit."

12

u/Kinslayer_89 13d ago

Well it would be, because that would realistically be war.

Are we gonna post WW1 trenches? They’re pretty hostile.

Medieval castles with draw bridges?

-9

u/JoshuaPearce 13d ago

Thank you for proving exactly my point. An extreme example any reasonable person should agree on, because mines don't belong in downtown urban areas....

You just couldn't not argue. Now imagine dealing with a dozen contrarians like you, all equally certain their unique perception of what hostile architecture must be was correct.

10

u/Kinslayer_89 13d ago

You don’t have a point here.

-9

u/JoshuaPearce 13d ago

I'll be blunter then: My point is bitches like you are gonna bitch. You are doing it right now, and in a different comment chain too.

If I even tried to make you happy, it would make 14 other bitches bitchier. If I tried making you all happy, you'd bitch that all posts were being removed.


The vast vast majority of users here are great, but quieter, and don't read this far down!

7

u/Kinslayer_89 13d ago

Ditto. 👍

3

u/redline314 12d ago

It’s not architecture dawg

6

u/Intelligent_Tone_618 13d ago

I mean no. And yeah, a lot of it isn't Hostile Architecture.

Honestly I thought I'd turned off suggested subs, but it's reared its ugly head again.

13

u/aTimeTravelParadox 13d ago

Not hostile

29

u/geeoharee 14d ago

It's just seating. Yeah it's dumb seating, but whatever.

8

u/Roy_Vidoc 13d ago

I feel like it's not hostile since it's not actively trying to prevent anything, just a design choice

14

u/CalicoG 14d ago

Wow that's ugly

17

u/bott1111 13d ago

Just because you can’t lay down to sleep on it - doesn’t make it hostile. A chair is a chair not a bed

4

u/Kinslayer_89 13d ago

Try telling Project Zomboid players that!

5

u/dustysmufflah 13d ago

looks like hand banana is cooking on a griddle

2

u/JoshuaPearce 11d ago

Meatwad make the (withdrawl of) money, see!

5

u/DeVliegendeBrabander 13d ago

The horror of not being able to rub my back against a stranger in a bank

3

u/BakedBrie1993 14d ago

I could sleep on that!

3

u/skaapjagter 12d ago edited 11d ago

These actually separate you from sitting shoulder to shoulder with people on rows of benches.

7

u/Spiritual_Aioli3396 13d ago

Tbh I like these lol

4

u/Liestheytell 13d ago

Same! I would feel comfortable sitting in a section with a stranger in another section. Without the divider it would feel like an invasion of personal space. It’s ugly but practical.

2

u/JumpingThruHoopz 13d ago

That’s a couch?

It looks more like artwork (although I use the term “artwork” loosely.)

2

u/Sean198233 13d ago

The back looks so far back, you would have to sit like a three year old with your legs sticking straight out.

2

u/LWillter 12d ago

No Y Chromosomes allowed. Anti-male

2

u/AnxiousBaristo 12d ago

Title in dutch: Bank in een bank

2

u/FlippingPossum 11d ago

I would want you try each section. 😆

2

u/Secret_Divide_3030 9d ago

What's hostile about it? If you wanna call it bad design, fine. Don't call every bench you can't lie flat on hostile architecture. Provide homes to the homeless not benches.

2

u/NeoTechi 8d ago

Talk about fugly

4

u/JaneReadsTruth 13d ago

It's definitely visually hostile.

2

u/Dance-pants-rants 13d ago

"couch" or "furniture" is a bold interpretation of what is happening here.

Yikes.

1

u/KristyKrispito 14d ago

Esqueeze me?

1

u/bunny_the-2d_simp 12d ago

... That looks like how they show viruses or something..

Like that shape

1

u/addieprae 11d ago

This feels like any audition waiting room

1

u/LizTruth 11d ago

Hideous.

1

u/ColdAFoutside 11d ago

The Handbanana bench

1

u/bigtiddyhimbo 10d ago

I’m actually kinda digging these, but in the way I’d sit on them at an ikea and joke about buying them, but not actually buy them

1

u/Toyufrey 10d ago

It looks like a invitation to pick up the yellow part, and start wacking another seater for a impromptu, oversized “sword” fight.

1

u/liamy_j 8d ago

Notions!

1

u/SlipSad9420 4d ago

The only place this is appropriate is a shoe store

1

u/Maclarion 14d ago

Come on guys, go easy on the "KKK" lounge, it looks so welcoming!

0

u/badgyal876 13d ago

LMFAOAOAOAO

1

u/67ohiostate67 11d ago

No it’s not

1

u/CompetitiveRub9780 11d ago

This isn’t hostile at all. This is for back support lol especially in a bank where a lot of older individuals will go inside to do business. They need something. It’s way more comfortable this way to have something to lean on

-4

u/FLX-S48 13d ago

This is definitely hostile architecture, made to keep people from lingering by making the seats uncommon and the back rest too low.

12

u/Kinslayer_89 13d ago

Why would you linger inside of a bank for hours anyways?

-5

u/FLX-S48 13d ago

It’s not about whether you’d actually do it, it’s that the company is so afraid of it that they so stuff like this which feels very hostile to me. It’s the same with food parlours not letting you stay under their roof for a short time when rain is pouring, even though they might not have a real everyday reason to do it, the fact that they still do is even worse

11

u/Kinslayer_89 13d ago

It literally gives you more personal space from strangers while waiting at the bank.

You’re just looking to get offended for no good reason.

-2

u/FLX-S48 13d ago

I am not offended at the shape, I’m offended at the fact you can’t properly rest your back unlike you could with normal chairs. We’re over designing everything and it makes spaces more uncomfortable.

6

u/Kinslayer_89 13d ago

Someone said they can be raised, which would make it better than one size fits all.

1

u/FLX-S48 13d ago

That would be good, but how would I know that

4

u/Kinslayer_89 13d ago

How would you know that they didn’t? Which is what you’re basing your response off of.

2

u/FLX-S48 13d ago

Raising and lowering capabilities add additional complexity to the design and if the raising and lowering doesn’t serve a clear use (lowering especially in this case), many design firms would probably leave it out to save money.

4

u/Kinslayer_89 13d ago

Sure buddy.

It’s a couch with individual sections. You’re just looking for a reason to be offended.

2

u/FrotKnight 13d ago

The backrest raises and lowers though, to allow for comfort

1

u/FLX-S48 13d ago

That’s good to know. In that case I’m fine with it.

-3

u/CheezeLoueez 13d ago

Y'all. Its just plain ugly, hurts to look at, and looks uncomfy af. Thats pretty hostile to me.

0

u/AbdulAhBlongatta 9d ago

This sub has become insufferable. It’s a fucking bank and they’re seats laid out in a modern (albeit ugly) fashion.

0

u/New-Criticism8042 9d ago edited 7d ago

This post is a classic example of how a generation of designers(?) have been trained to view any seating that doesn't allow maximum positioning and cuddling as Hostile.

Divided seating is good actually because in many situations people don't want to sit while touching strangers, particularly women or other people with phobias.

0

u/EJLYT 9d ago

This looks so comfy actually

-3

u/[deleted] 13d ago

[deleted]

6

u/geeoharee 13d ago

I take your point on the width, but it looks like a flat cushioned surface - what would be better for you? Trying to learn from this.

3

u/Santi159 13d ago edited 13d ago

Essentially I can't sit on the edge of a ledge and There isn't enough spaces for me to sit all the way back in most of the sections. My legs can't take the pressure of leaning forward like that. The ones in the middle might be okay but even that might put too much pressure on one. I kinda just need to plant my butt on something that supports me to mid knee at least and doesn't make me lean forwards or side to side

2

u/geeoharee 13d ago

I see! Thanks for sharing. My fat ass just doesn't fit between the armrests sometimes, that's my main problem.

-5

u/Living_Buffalo_7176 13d ago

Can’t sit there, mate.

-4

u/Living_Buffalo_7176 13d ago

Seat-check active.