Museum Kranenburgh Bench by Richard Hutten

For the art museum Kranenburg in Bergen, The Netherlands, Richard Hutten designed the Kranenburgh bench. The design brief came directly from museum director Mariette Dolle - to purpose a bench for the museum's garden set against the theme: man versus nature. Hutten further translated this to culture versus nature. He was inspired by the power of nature which always wins from man-made objects, like for example the Ta Phrom temple in Vietnam. 

Hutten designed a bench that included a tree. When installed both were separated, but within the coming years, the tree and bench will become one. He calls it "a work in progress”. “This design will never be ready” explains the Dutch designer. "As soon as the tree starts to grow, the tree and the bench will merge. What the result will be is unpredictable, but for sure will be interesting. I will go there every year to see the progress," he says.