Inflate furnishes seaside town

London design consultancy Inflate has created a range of first concepts for an innovative range of street lighting and street furniture for the seaside town of Poole in Dorset.

Operating as part of the Small Global consortium, which for this project consists of Ide Architects, Jam Design, landscape architect BandB UK, Klein Dyson and Inflate, the design group best known for its inflatable household products is currently holding talks with Italian design house Guzzini to develop the designs (lighting concept pictured). Small Global won the tender to create a design masterplan for Poole Council in March last year. The design plans, which can be viewed on-line at www.poole.gov.uk, is entitled Street-scapes and is to be ratified this month by Poole Council following public consultation.

Streetscapes is designed to inform developers about the ‘overall character and atmosphere of the town’ as they undertake building projects to regenerate the area.

Inflate’s appointment to create the street furniture and lighting designs for Poole comes in addition to the consortium’s original brief, explains Inflate creative director Nick Crosbie.

‘Though we were not appointed to actually [physically create] anything,’ says Crosbie, ‘as the project evolved it was suggested that we design the street furniture and lighting as well.’

However, if the Guzzini tie-up gets the all clear, Crosbie still expects it to be a couple more year’s before the lighting designs will be installed in the town.