Barcelona’s urban landscape is subtly changing as the iconic ‘Romántico’ street bench, a fixture for decades, faces a significant decline in new installations, ceding ground to the rapidly expanding ‘Neobarcino’ model. This transition marks a shift in the city’s public seating, with the City Council increasingly favouring modern designs over traditional ones.

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The ‘Romántico’ bench, recognisable by its curved shape and fine wooden slats, currently accounts for 5,208 units on Barcelona’s public thoroughfares. This represents nearly 14% of the city’s more than 37,500 street benches, excluding those in parks, according to City Council data. However, new orders for this classic design have plummeted.

Decline of the ‘Romántico’ Bench

Carlos Fàbregas from the Fàbregas Group, a manufacturer of the ‘Romántico’ for over 35 years, states, “It has been and continues to be one of the most classic benches installed across all cities in the country.” He adds, “That design made it beautiful, attractive to architects, and suitable for installation in historic centres.”

Despite its widespread presence, the City Council ordered only 20 new ‘Romántico’ benches out of 8,613 seats acquired between 2023 and 2025, according to Benito urban furniture. Mr Fàbregas confirms, “The City Council practically no longer requests this model.” He notes that while some specific projects nationwide still order it, “the number of units supplied has dropped significantly.”

The Rise of ‘Neobarcino’

Meanwhile, the ‘Neobarcino’ model, produced by Benito since 1998, is rapidly gaining prominence. Barcelona has incorporated 971 ‘Neobarcino’ benches and 1,206 chairs of the same series in the last three years. Arnau Miralpeix, Benito’s Marketing Director, claims, “We would say this is the best-selling bench in Spanish history and one of the most introduced across Europe and the world.”

The ‘Neobarcino’ design, though not created specifically for Barcelona, considered the criteria of city technicians during its development. Mr Miralpeix highlights its corrosion-resistant treatments and anti-graffiti properties, which make it highly sought after. These features “make the bench very difficult to scratch and greatly extend the maintenance periodicity of the wood,” he explains.

City Council’s Transition

The City Council acknowledges this transition, noting that ‘Neobarcino’ benches often feature armrests and are less sinuous than the ‘Romántico’. The council states, “The ‘Neobarcino’ models have replaced older designs to improve the ergonomic and accessibility aspects of the benches.” For instance, worn-out ‘Romántico’ units on the Andreu Nin Promenade in the Nou Barris district are currently being replaced by ‘Neobarcino’ models.

Ricard Ferrer, director of the Master’s in Furniture Design at Elisava school, observes that intellectual property disputes are common in the sector. He notes, “There is debate over the intellectual property of designs, and companies have clashed over the rights to specific models.”

The ‘Neoromántica’ Alternative

Beyond these two dominant styles, the ‘Neoromántica’ range from Urbidermis also holds significant market share. Designed by the influential Catalan industrial designer Miguel Milá in 1995, this series accounts for 7,238 units across the city. Since 2023, the City Council has acquired 1,244 ‘Neoromántica’ benches and chairs. Mr Ferrer describes Milá’s innovation: “He made a bench that was more like a chair and less inclined, to make it easier for older people to get up.” This design introduced a more upright seating position and used larger pieces instead of many slats, improving maintenance.

Evolving Urban Furniture

The original ‘Romántico’ bench also underwent modifications years ago to improve accessibility. Mr Fàbregas recalls, “About 10 or 15 years ago, they had to modify the height of the bench.” He explains, “The initial design made the bench seat very low, making it difficult for older people to get up, so they modified it and made the legs a little taller.”

The ‘Neobarcino’ has maintained its core design but has diversified into various versions, including three-metre benches, chairs, backless stools, and an aluminium bench with seven planks specifically for Barcelona City Council. This evolution underscores its adaptability and growing presence.

As Barcelona continues to modernise its public spaces, the ‘Neobarcino’ model appears poised to overtake the ‘Romántico’ as the city’s most prevalent street bench within the coming years. This shift reflects a broader trend towards more functional, accessible, and durable urban furniture designs.

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Originally published by El Periódico Barcelona. Read original article.