"A collaboration between designer Saskia Boersma, the Surface Matter collective and the material studio Plasticiet transforms £2.5 million worth of withdrawn British banknotes into a series of sculptural benches that echo the pound sign (£) while questioning what we consider valuable. The process begins with the systematic removal of old notes from circulation. Once shredded, the paper fibers are reconstituted using a proprietary plasticiser that binds the material without compromising its texture."
"Saskia Boersma's design language, known for its playful reinterpretations of everyday objects, frames the benches as both functional furniture and public art. Each piece is cast into a curved form that, when viewed from above, outlines the £ symbol, turning the act of sitting into a visual reminder of monetary flow. The benches occupy the museum's historic Stock Room, a space once reserved for vaults and ledgers, thereby redefining the room's purpose from storage to social interaction."
The Bank of England Museum, together with Saskia Boersma, Surface Matter and Plasticiet, converts £2.5 million of withdrawn banknotes into sculptural benches shaped to echo the pound sign. Old notes are systematically removed from circulation, shredded, and reconstituted with a proprietary plasticiser that binds the paper fibers while preserving texture and security patterns. Surface Matter pairs the recycled sheets with complementary surfaces such as Roman mosaic tiles, Portland stone and patinated brass to mirror the Bank's historic interiors. The benches sit in the museum's Stock Room, transforming vault space into social seating and diverting banknote paper from landfill within a circular‑economy model.
Read at Yanko Design - Modern Industrial Design News
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