From Barcelona to Broadway: Gather and Tiers awarded Architizer A+Product Award 2025
In today’s cities, public space is more than infrastructure—it’s a social stage. Creating spaces that feel both functional and inviting is a design challenge of the highest order. And it’s precisely what Gather and Tiers achieve. Now, these collections by Foster + Partners Industrial Design, crafted for Escofet 1886, have earned global acclaim with the Architizer A+Product Award 2025 in the Outdoor Furniture category.
What makes this recognition so meaningful? And why does it resonate so strongly with urban designers, architects and civic decision-makers? Let’s take a closer look.
An award that values more than aesthetics
The Architizer A+Product Awards celebrate more than beauty. They spotlight products that enrich the built environment—designs that blend sustainability, innovation and a human touch. Gather and Tiers were chosen from hundreds of entries because they don’t just occupy space—they create places. Places to pause, reflect, gather and connect.
At a time when every square metre of public realm matters, these designs offer calm without claiming dominance.
Tiers: three heights, one design philosophy
At first glance, Tiers appears deceptively simple. But its strength lies in its quiet complexity: a bench to rest, a table to meet, a stool to observe or pause. Each element is calibrated to facilitate different postures and encounters.
What makes Tiers truly compelling is its adaptability to any setting—from urban squares to business campuses, train stations to playgrounds. Its rounded edges feel safe, while the height variations bring people into natural alignment. Tiers isn’t just furniture; it’s a gentle invitation to connect.
Gather: a social landscape
Gather lives up to its name. Designed to foster interaction, its curved and linear modules naturally embrace trees, stretch across open plazas, or form quiet pockets that offer a moment of pause. It creates places that invite, not demand, attention.
What truly distinguishes Gather is its visual softness and modest presence. It integrates with the surrounding landscape instead of disrupting it. Whether in a city park, an educational campus, or a lively promenade, Gather feels intuitive—almost as if it were always meant to be there.
And yet, the subtlety hides thoughtful design precision: a backrest that supports without overpowering, modules engineered to fit logistical standards, and ultra-high-performance concrete with a tactile quality that softens the hard edge of urban space.
The power of simplicity
Both collections are grounded in deep user empathy. Every curve, angle and finish was tested and refined to reflect how people actually sit, talk, pause, and share space.
Foster + Partners and Escofet 1886 didn’t just design objects—they designed interactions. They studied behaviour, translated insights into form, and shaped materials to support urban life. That’s what makes this award so significant: it recognises not just what the furniture is, but what it enables.
“Understated elegance”
“With their understated elegance and refined forms, Gather and Tiers offer architects, urban planners and landscape designers a wide range of creative opportunities.”
— Mike Holland, Head of Industrial Design, Foster + Partners
What Mike suggests, and we believe: these designs strike a rare balance. They bring clarity without coldness, structure without rigidity.
Want to know more?
Curious about the design story behind these award-winning collections? Read our previous features here:
Why this matters for tomorrow’s public spaces
At Servibo, we believe that urban furniture should do more than fill a space—it should enrich it. With Gather and Tiers, we bring internationally acclaimed design to Belgium and Luxembourg, supporting a shared vision of cities as inclusive, calm, and resilient places to live and meet.
Frequently asked questions
1. How does modular public furniture support inclusive urban spaces??
By offering seating and table surfaces at varied heights, and incorporating visual cues and wheelchair-accessible areas, collections like Gather and Tiers promote equity and comfort in shared environments.
2. Why is sustainable design becoming essential in outdoor furniture?
Because high-traffic public spaces require durable, low-maintenance and environmentally conscious materials. At Servibo, we prioritise products that meet these demands without compromising aesthetics.
3. What makes a design worthy of an international award?
A winning design combines visual elegance with practical innovation, user-centred thinking and relevance to evolving urban needs.
4. What materials are used in the Gather and Tiers collections?
Both series are crafted from UHPC (Ultra High Performance Concrete), a material known for its strength, longevity and refined surface finish. At Servibo, we value UHPC for its capacity to deliver both resilience and elegance in urban furniture.
5. Can the elements of Gather and Tiers be configured freely?
Yes. Designed for modular flexibility, both collections can be tailored to suit various public contexts—from parks and campuses to town centres. Servibo advises clients on optimal configurations to suit each unique space.
6. How does Tiers contribute to comfort in public environments?
By combining different seat heights, gentle forms and tactile finishes, Tiers encourages informal use—from quick stops to shared lunches. Servibo sees this as a response to the growing demand for adaptable, human-scale amenities in public spaces.
7. Is Gather suitable for green areas or tree integration?
Absolutely. Gather’s flexible layout allows it to wrap around trees or follow planting borders, leaving space for root systems. At Servibo, we support design strategies that merge furniture with ecological elements seamlessly.
