"Social Seating" | The Asylum Chapel

This project explores how design can facilitate reconnection in the aftermath of the pandemic. Drawing inspiration from Bruno Munari’s Design as Art, it reimagines familiar spaces to encourage engagement.

Research focused on themes of loneliness, stagnation, and reconnection, employing imagery, layering, and word associations such as isolation, stress, and disconnection. The pandemic rendered many public gathering spaces obsolete, emphasizing the need for adaptable environments that support social interaction.

Staircases emerged as a focal point due to their often-overlooked potential. Although designed for movement, they are frequently used as informal seating in public spaces. This insight led to the idea of transforming staircases into intentional seating areas that invite social connection.

The project site, Asylum Chapel in Peckham, was chosen for its open structure, raw materials, and layered history. Originally a chapel and later repurposed as an almshouse for retired pub landlords, its rich narrative reinforces the design’s exploration of communal spaces.

The design integrates modular wooden elements to create varied seating arrangements—some intended for intimate conversations, others for more casual gatherings. This flexible, layered structure encourages users to engage with the space in multiple ways.

Ultimately, The Social Seating reclaims communal spaces, challenging conventional uses and demonstrating how reinterpreting everyday structures can foster reconnection in a post-pandemic world.