Roxana Torshizi
The Hospitable Bench
Roxana Torshizi
The Hospitable Bench
The Hospitable Bench
→ ARCH 393
About
A response to the anti-homeless bench on Main Street. There is a long bench located across from front of Coffee Culture in Galt, Cambridge. From its copious amount of metal armrests and the cold nature of its form and materials, it is clear who it is intended for, and more specifically who it is not intended for. With a large and growing population of people experiencing homeless, and this location being an essential hub that mediates between the nearby shelters, food bank and the only safe injection site in Cambridge, it is often populated with unhoused people. There are resources in place in downtown Galt that help to support issues such as homelessness, food sovereignty, drug addiction and more. But how can we address these large issues when every piece of our city is designed to push the most vulnerable populations into the streets and away from our shared public space. The message of the hostile bench is loud and clear, it says you don’t belong here.
In order to begin to combat systemic issues, we need first address the fact that anybody should be allowed to take up space in the public realm and in our city. The Hospitable Bench is a response to the current hostile bench. It does not solve all systemic problems, but it aims to bring dignity to the small moments and raise awareness to the larger issues.
About
A response to the anti-homeless bench on Main Street. There is a long bench located across from front of Coffee Culture in Galt, Cambridge. From its copious amount of metal armrests and the cold nature of its form and materials, it is clear who it is intended for, and more specifically who it is not intended for. With a large and growing population of people experiencing homeless, and this location being an essential hub that mediates between the nearby shelters, food bank and the only safe injection site in Cambridge, it is often populated with unhoused people. There are resources in place in downtown Galt that help to support issues such as homelessness, food sovereignty, drug addiction and more. But how can we address these large issues when every piece of our city is designed to push the most vulnerable populations into the streets and away from our shared public space. The message of the hostile bench is loud and clear, it says you don’t belong here.
In order to begin to combat systemic issues, we need first address the fact that anybody should be allowed to take up space in the public realm and in our city. The Hospitable Bench is a response to the current hostile bench. It does not solve all systemic problems, but it aims to bring dignity to the small moments and raise awareness to the larger issues.
In order to begin to combat systemic issues, we need first address the fact that anybody should be allowed to take up space in the public realm and in our city. The Hospitable Bench is a response to the current hostile bench. It does not solve all systemic problems, but it aims to bring dignity to the small moments and raise awareness to the larger issues.
