L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 30 2023 www.italoamericano.org 28 L'Italo-Americano H a s i t b e e n a little too long since you last s a w t h e w o r l d t h r o u g h c h i l d l i k e e y e s , slowed down and observed the ordinary with a fresh p e r s p e c t i v e , a n d a l l o w e d yourself to act a little silly under a big open sky? Chris Bangle certainly thinks so. A m e r i c a n - b o r n B a n g l e left an illustrious and some- what controversial career as Chief of Design for German- based BMW in 2009, choos- i n g i n s t e a d t o s e t t l e i n rural Clavesana (Piemonte ) I t a l y . R e a d y f o r a n e w a p p r o a c h t o l i f e , B a n g l e established a successful con- sultation company amidst the ongoing restoration of his Piemontese borgata – a collection of rural farm buildings. The slower-paced lifestyle and natural beauty o f t h e L a n g h e r e g i o n brought refreshed creativity and inspiration…and a new idea for sharing his enlight- ened perspective of appreci- ating the simple things. B a n g l e ' s b e l i e f t h a t a l l c o u l d b e n e f i t f r o m a renewed sense of wonder energized an artistic concep- t u a l i z a t i o n – h e c a l l e d i t the BIG RED BENCH #1. And that's exactly what it was – a hugely out-of-pro- p o r t i o n s h i n y r e d b e n c h designed to be sat upon, legs dangling over the edge in fine six-year-old style. Ban- gle found the perfect spot for his creation: a gentle rise offering spectacular views across Piemonte's undulat- ing emerald vineyards, the silhouette of the Maritime Alps providing the perfect frame. I n s p i r e d b y w h a t h e termed "contextual innova- t i o n , " B a n g l e w a n t e d t o share "the interesting feeling of experiencing well-known things in a different context" and allow visitors to leave behind feeling pressured to continually strive for some- thing new. Although the Big Red Bench was on his pri- vate property, public access was offered any time, day or n i g h t , f o r d i s c o v e r y a n d enjoyment of his creation. It was his invitation to experi- ence the ordinary as some- thing new and quite extraor- dinary. Bangle's bench concept caught on quickly. Coming u p o n a g i a n t c h e r r y - r e d 8x10 foot bench randomly placed in a stunning setting immediately spurred inno- cent wonder and an urge to c l a m b e r u p f o r a s e a t – exactly the response Chris Bangle intended. From the original bench on Bangle's p r o p e r t y , o v e r 3 3 0 b i g benches now exist with 43 currently under construc- tion. The majority are scat- tered throughout Italy; how- e v e r , t h e m o v e m e n t i s growing with benches found a s f a r a w a y a s N o r w a y , Poland, Greece, and Spain. This creative innovator knew he was on to some- t h i n g — t h e B i g B e n c h Community Project (non- profit) was initiated to sup- port the installation of Big Benches wherever project stipulations could be met. The B B C P philosophy of i n n o c e n t d i s c o v e r y w a s e x a c t l y t h e d e - e v o l u t i o n Bangle first conceptualized with his Big Red Bench — the simplicity of "enjoying t h e v i e w a s i f y o u w e r e a child again…an intense feel- ing to be shared with oth- ers…it's a pleasant social gesture and making good use of all the positive energy e m a n a t i n g f r o m t h e B i g Benches is the root of the BIG BENCH COMMUNITY PROJECT." (Chris Bangle, 2014) Giant lawn furniture isn't necessarily a new concept, but the context underpin- ning the BBCP is. They can- not be bought nor advertise a c o m p a n y , o r h o n o r a n individual. Their sole pur- pose is a "collective experi- e n c e " m e a n t t o b r i n g j o y through experiencing the wonder of nature with fresh e y e s a n d a n o p e n h e a r t . Heaping good upon good, Bangle also envisioned the b e n c h e s a s a m e a n s o f attracting visitors to experi- ence an area's beauty and culture. Charmingly put, he states "We hope the people looking for a Big Bench dis- cover your area while they hunt for it instead of ignor- ing the beauty of the area because a big colored bench i n t h e m i d d l e d i s t r a c t s them." So how does one go about getting a Big Bench in place? The BBCP's comprehensive w e b s i t e o u t l i n e s s t i p u l a - tions, but a quick summary reveals several bullet points. L o c a t i o n i s p a r a m o u n t ; b e n c h e s m u s t b e p l a c e d somewhere "panoramic and c o n t e m p l a t i v e " w h e r e a l l may have free 24/7 public access. Adjacent a church, school, cemetery, private residences, or other public buildings is tabu. Contrary t o t h e m a j o r i t y o f I t a l y ' s public projects, no govern- mental funding is allowed; all benches are constructed by way of donations, volun- t e e r m a n p o w e r , a n d fundraising through com- munity groups. Bangle pro- v i d e s b l u e p r i n t s f r e e o f charge to maintain continu- i t y o f d e s i g n , w h i c h a l s o s t i p u l a t e s t h a t n o t w o benches be painted the same c o l o r . W i t h a l m o s t 4 0 0 benches planted across Italy and Europe, that can be a t a l l o r d e r ! R e c e n t a l l o w a n c e s i n c l u d e t w o - color benches – the support base being one color, the wooden bench another. Typ- i c a l l y , t h e b o l d e r a n d brighter, the happier the Big Bench community, but you won't be granted clearance for patterns, logos, or uni- corn glitter. The Big Bench concept h a s s t o l e n t h e h e a r t s o f many. Tours exist solely for the purpose of finding and visiting Big Benches. A pass- port program was begun. For ten euro, a Big Bench Passport can be purchased, its pages marked with the unique stamp of each bench visited. A fun selection of Big Bench merchandise is available, as well. For many, v i s i t i n g t h e b e n c h e s h a s b e c o m e a p i l g r i m a g e o f s o r t s , a q u e s t t o f i n d t h e i n t e n t i o n a l l y n o t - w e l l - marked and rural benches in a childlike hide-and-seek manner. Not accidental, but a p a r t o f B a n g l e ' s g r a n d scheme to playfully force s l o w i n g d o w n a n d t a k i n g time to smell the roses…and spend some time atop a Big Bench. R e c e n t t e c h n o l o g y h a s taken a bit of the seek-and- find mystery away, however, w i t h a n i n n o v a t i v e a p p called tabui. A quick down- load, and a phone becomes an instant resource for assis- tance in finding the sought- after bench(es), as well as a guide for ideas on things to do in the area. Another perk is the ability to filter out the increasing number of knock- off benches imitating the Big Bench design. In keeping with the origi- nal philosophy of making a Big Bench accessible to all, a c r e a t i v e n e w d e s i g n c a l l e d B i g B e n c h f o r Everyone has been built i n P a r o l d o a n d S a n Damiano d'Asti. Strategi- cally constructed on a natur- a l s l o p e , a r a m p a l l o w s wheelchair and disability maneuverability from the rear of the bench where the s e a t b a c k m e c h a n i c a l l y opens. Chris Bangle isn't resting on his Big Bench laurels, however, despite their global success and appeal. Creating conceptually new designs for cars, even spaceships, nurs- ing homes, and superyachts, f i l l h i s d a y s a l o n g w i t h a thriving consulting company and public speaking engage- ments. Yet Bangle is quick to share that he feels his Big Bench Community Pro- ject is his crowning achieve- ment. "You may know me as a car designer, but where I l i v e , I ' m t h e b e n c h g u y , " Bangle proudly stated in a 2021 Autocar interview. "In front of our house on a good weekend, I'll have 200 cars parked for people to sit on a bench. I'm so proud of it." It's a big deal: Italy's Big Bench Community Project PAULA REYNOLDS Sitting on a Big Bench, legs dangling down, is a bit like being children again (Photo: Luca Luigi Chiaretti/Dreamstime) NEWS & FEATURES TOP STORIES PEOPLE EVENTS

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