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The UFO Shelter Is Ready for Landing in Public Spaces Near You

05.15.24 | By
The UFO Shelter Is Ready for Landing in Public Spaces Near You

Released in 2023, mmcité street furniture’s unique UFO shelter has recently been recognized with a Red Dot Design Award. It’s ready to hover above, protecting different types of outdoor furniture, from benches and seating that are already part of the brand’s portfolio to the levitating circular wooden platform that’s been designed to turn it into a daybed. As long as you’re relaxed, UFO is doing its job.

Modern wooden circular bench with an overhead canopy in a park setting, surrounded by green grass and trees.

“We feel the need to develop products that are not only aesthetic and functional, but also shift our perception of public space,” says product designer Michael Tomalik, who designed UFO under mmcité’s chief designer, David Karásek. “It is a place that should serve people and our needs that we experience daily. We can talk about relaxation or the return of life to places that no longer fulfill their function. In public spaces, we need products that we don’t have to manipulate every day. That’s why we designed UFO.”

A woman and child playing on a modern wooden circular bench with an overhead canopy in a park setting, surrounded by green grass and trees.

A creative alternative to patio umbrellas that require a central pole, UFO arches comfortably over most of mmcité’s products. Its PVC-coated polyester fabric dome is stretched across laminate rods using a stainless-steel tension mechanism, and the steel structure is galvanized and powder-coated, all together making for an easy install. The daybed features a sturdy steel frame with wooden slats that can stand up to the elements and heavy use.

Modern wooden circular bench with an overhead canopy in a park setting, surrounded by green grass and trees.

The Czech brand, mmcité street furniture, is known for their innovative design, development, and quality manufacturing of furniture that’s commercially used outdoors. With UFO, they’ve seemingly managed to create a new product segment for public spaces. Dive deeper and explore the brand’s city benches, litter bins, bicycle racks, and shelters that are ready to fill users’ needs while retaining style. mmcité only uses high-functioning materials that work in any environment and withstand the most challenging of conditions.

Modern wooden circular bench with an overhead canopy in a park setting, surrounded by green grass and trees.

Detail of a modern canopy in a park setting.

Detail of a modern circular wood bench in a park setting.

A hand adjusting a metallic rod on a canopy.

A curved wooden bench with a white canopy in a public space.

A curved wooden bench with a red canopy, surrounded by lush greenery and yellow blooming bushes.

Detail of the underside of an outdoor canopy.

A woman sits at a red outdoor table in a park with lush green trees in the background.

A woman sits at a red outdoor table in a park with lush green trees in the background.

An overhead view of a park filled with white canopies.

A round platform bench with a blue canopy in a public space.

To learn more about the UFO shelter, visit mmcite.com.

Kelly Beall is Director of Branded Content at Design Milk. The Pittsburgh-based writer and designer has had a deep love of art and design for as long as she can remember, from Fashion Plates to MoMA and far beyond. When not searching out the visual arts, she's likely sharing her favorite finds with others. Kelly can also be found tracking down new music, teaching herself to play the ukulele, or on the couch with her three pets – Bebe, Rainey, and Remy. Find her @designcrush on social.