Czech HUA HUA Architects intends to bring gastro businesses back to life with new public furniture and a grid-like public space system, thus making public space use in Brno safer.
The Gastro Safe Zone initiative started off in March 2020, around the time when a lockdown was imposed in the Czech Republic, similarly to many other countries in the world. Social distancing proved to be a great utility in the fight against the pandemic, however, it had a major influence on the hospitality industry and on the entire economy. Looking for the common grounds of safe public space use and a functioning hospitality industry, the team of HUA HUA has developed a space grid initiative that transforms public spaces into safe and defined zones, allowing people to eat outside without spreading the virus.
Every confined safe zone comes with a circle-shaped yellow dining table and three chairs. The tables are made of a material which can be easily sanitized and cleaned. The shape of the public furniture was inspired by the circle of life and infinity.
But the story does not end here; due to the great interest in the project, it resulted in the launch of a separate brand.
“With the Gastro Safe Zone initiative, we started a discussion about how public spaces could be brought back to life by adhering to the rules of distancing at the same time We created safe zones with a yellow dining table and three chairs in the middle. Later on it turned out that three seats are not enough: many people contacted us asking whether there were other versions of the furniture, made of different materials, with more chairs or combined with other colors. This is how our brand Stoolky was born, built on colorful dining tables and offering a wide variety of uses” – Petr Kadlec, one of the members of HUA HUA Architect Studio and one of the originators of Gastro Safe Zone told us.
Stoolky’s repertoire does not only include circle-shaped dining tables and chairs but rectangular ones, too, and one may also choose from dining tables suitable to seat 3, 4 or 6 people.
HUA HUA’s team continues to work on implementing the Gastro Safe Zone project: their aim is to spread their initiative to as many cities as possible. The public furniture and the safe zones are expected to be first installed in Brno’s largest quarter, Brno-Střed.
Concept: HUA HUA Architects
Render: MISS3
Photo: Hary Marwell
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