Just returned from a couple of days in Paris. Some time ago I started (and discontinued temporarily) a series about new Paris Metro Benches. Well this is a fine photo of the new round chair form benches in red against a background of an old photo showing how they built a metro in those days…
In addition to my prior remark that it possibly was aimed at the sleeper problem I now can add that they didn’t get rid of the problem entirely as in several stations they kept the tiled consoles of the original wooden benches which still are in use by several clochards. However in some stations they replaced the consoles with steel frames with seatings without any place for sleepers… Moreover it seems they positioned the seatings in a way that people do not feel intruded upon if you take a seat next to them…as opposed in the Metro’s themselves where the benches are so narrow they barely can hold two Frenchman…
The Living Bench by Matali Crasset at Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac