„Whether in New York or Paris, I have seen and experienced street seating that could be used by the residents freely in order to have a seat in their city’s public space. We want people to like Bratislava, to own it and street seating is one of the possibilities how to achieve it. I believe, that this concept will be successful in Bratislava and will be gradually implemented all over the city. Public space cultivation and projects of this nature will be one of the key tasks of the newly established Metropolitan Institute of Bratislava,“ said the Bratislava mayor Matúš Vallo.
Have a seat! project provides new mobile seating sets to the centre of Bratislava. Both Bratislava residents and tourists will have the possibility to relax or just hang out with friends during the warm months. Seating of the same brand can also be found for example in Paris parks.
Starting today, first mobile sets will be implemented on Primate’s Square and in front of the Old Market Hall. The next planned location is the Danube River Bank next to Propeler café and gradually at the beginning of the summer further sets should be implemented in the localities Komenského Square, Treskoňova Street, SNP Square and Kamenné Square. Overall, there should be both in the direct and broader centre 80 tables and 240 chairs.
The project is realized in cooperation with the communities and partners living and operating in the square area, capital city Bratislava, city quarter The Old Town, Volkswagen Slovakia company and Slovenská sporiteľňa Foundation. In the future, the projects to improve the public space including the expansion of the Have a seat! project will be covered by the Metropolitan Institute of Bratislava, where a Public Space Manual will be elaborated, as well as many more activities with the scope to engage Bratislava residents to the city’s life and development.
The advantage of the mobile street seating is that the chairs and tables are not firmly attached. It is possible to move them around as needed, whether from the shade to the sun, or to have a better view, or to arrange them in order to enable a larger group of friends to sit together. In winter the sets will be stored, eliminating barriers in the city that would be of no purpose during the cold months.
The business operations in the proximity of the street seating will take care of the maintenance and storage of the tables and chairs based on a contract. They will be responsible also for keeping the street seating clean, reporting the damages or protect them from being damaged. However, these sets are not standard summer terraces, that the business operation should also serve. The unique feature of the street seating is that the users can dring and eat their own food and beverages (obviously except the alcoholic beverages).