K. Katsampe, President of ETOAA

The bench is a piece of urban furniture in our city. In our efforts to improve the aesthetics of our city, we invited the public along with the non-governmental organization "World of Athens" to an international contest to design the new bench of Athens.

Our goal was to motivate citizens, because we believe their participation and opinions are necessary in whatever concerns our city.

A city bench means a lot of things. It is a place of relaxation, communication, where each person mentally combines different images and experiences. In the impersonal age we live, a bench can bring us closer to others. The man next to us can become the person to whom we confess a problem, we discuss and exchange views and ideas, until everyone of us takes his way.

In a few days, Athens will reveal the new bench-mark in our city. Its design will be the result of worldwide proposals which will have been chosen by citizens who want to leave their mark on the city.

In addition, the proposals that will have emerged from Athens Future Bench will allow our imagination to visualize the bench of the future. Finally, enthusiastic volunteers participating in the program, will renovate and preserve existing benches around Athens, demonstrating that together, we can achieve a great deal and create the environment we deserve.

The competition reflects the will of the local authority to create a city with ecological and social awareness, active citizens and intellectual cultivation.