Furnitubes has provided its Elements seats for The Oval; a cul-de-sac street flanked by commercial and light industrial premises, located between the busy Hackney Road and Regent’s Canal in Bethnal Green, East London.

As well as a church dating back to 1910, the road is home to a number of industrial printers and design-based businesses. One of the new businesses to open is Oval Space - a mixed use arts and event workshop space used for product launches, fashion shows and TV shoots, and for hosting club nights and live shows - which has quickly become one of the most sought after venues in London.

Until recently the oval hardstanding in the centre of the street had been used for parking and as a vehicular turnaround, and had also attracted abandoned vehicles and anti-social behaviour. In a bid to improve the public realm for this increasingly busy site, permission was granted by Tower Hamlets to develop a pedestrian-only space with new paving, trees and seating, as well as a performance platform.

Furnitubes provided a number of Elements seats and benches to the scheme, all supplied with powder coated corten-effect finish to the steelwork plate ends, designed to simulate oxidised corten, but without the inherent risk of staining that can be an issue on new paving in particular. This finish is particularly popular within urban environments, making it an ideal material for this east London location.