# Musical Park Benches This Fun Public Furniture Piece That Encourages Play By Laura McQuarrie | Published 2015-06-09 | Art & Design Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/public-furniture References: [psfk](http://www.psfk.com/2015/06/playable-city-musical-instrument-piano-benches-urban-conga.html) & [watershed](http://www.watershed.co.uk/playablecity/2015/shortlist/why-sit-when-you-can-play) [Urban Conga](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/membran-collective) is a non-profit organization that's on a mission to enhance community-building through a combination of social and physical activity, such as though this fun public furniture piece that is both [interactive, practical and musical](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/urban-furniture1). Although the [piano-inspired bench](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/steel-and-stone-piano-v2) looks deceptively simple, hitting a note on the bench does so much more than just emit a pleasing sound. The bench is meant to be played during the day and night, using lights and sounds to interact with other surroundings nearby. For instance, interacting with the bench causes LED lights on nearby street lamps and buildings to "dance." To be considerate, at night the sounds emitted are much softer. Urban Conga is currently in the running as a finalist eligible to receive the Playable City award. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 3.1/10 - Popularity: 42% | Activity: 44% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial - Top markets: Europe ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Art & Design](https://www.trendhunter.com/artdesign) > [Design](https://www.trendhunter.com/design) ## Key Themes ### Key Themes Behind This Trend - **Interactive Street Furniture:** Opportunity to create more interactive and engaging street furniture that encourages community engagement and play. - **Multisensory Urban Experiences:** Potential for creating immersive and multisensory experiences in urban environments through the combination of lights, sounds, and interactive elements. - **Smart Urban Design:** Advancement in integrating smart technology into urban design to enhance public spaces and create unique interactions between people and their surroundings. ### Where This Applies - **Furniture Manufacturing:** Opportunity for furniture manufacturers to explore innovative designs and technologies that integrate interactivity and playfulness into street furniture. - **Entertainment and Experiential Design:** Potential for entertainment and experiential design companies to create immersive and interactive urban experiences that enhance community engagement. - **Smart City Technology:** Advancement in smart city technology presents opportunities for companies to develop solutions that integrate interactive elements into public spaces and enhance urban life. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Musical-Themed Kinetic Structures](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/daydreamer.md) - [Adaptive Public Seating](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/adp-bench.md) - [Heritage Sound Playgrounds](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/hornscape-playground.md) - [Rotating Solar-Powered Benches](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/a-solarpowered-bench-that-spins-ever-so-slowly.md) - [Muscle Loss-Combating Playground Benches](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/playground-bench.md) - [Rotating Solar Powered Benches](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/eness-1.md) - [Bold Motion Bench Installations](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/wheelbench-krllermller-edition.md) - [Traffic Light-Inspired Benches](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/traffic-light-bench.md) - [Urban Solar Charging Benches](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/perovia.md)