Daily tous les jours’ singing benches bring play to public spaces in Indiana

Daydreamer places a chorus of deep hums and light song in a park, emanating from a trio of lit arches, hovering at each end above the ground, as if floating. The harmonies created on the spinning, singing benches in Indiana are designed to connect people in public spaces. The goal of the designers at Canadian ‘placemaking collective’ Daily tous les jours is to create enriched social spaces through everyday interactions, which they do at a thoughtful intersection of art and design. 

The collective has previously created singing, wobbling boards, musical pavements and water-play hubs in the name of bringing people together, and its projects feel delightfully close to public play therapy. The team’s ability to ‘enchant the post-covid city’ is proudly demonstrated on its website, and in its integration of the senses in sound, touch and movement. 

The white oak benches and powder-coated aluminium arches sit in Plaza Park in South Bend, Indiana and feature as part of the space’s redesign, now a permanent interactive installation. Song from the benches is triggered by their user’s movements and, in configuring them in a circle, Daily tous les jours hopes to encourage a shared experience, creating a mutual space for connection in the community. 

LED lights create a glow in the arches over the benches, introducing calming details to the form alongside the curved edges and round base. Each bench is fitted with a slow pivot mechanism, akin to a rocking motion, and seats four people, allowing for a group of 12 to swing, sing and climb to their hearts’ content. 

Daily tous les jours Daydreamer benches are now on permanent display at Plaza Park in South Bend, Indiana

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