This bench marks an important step in my work. I had just completed the massive Bench #2 from Series #2 and i was looking to make a bench that was smaller. Bench #3 still needed to have a major presence or i was not going to let it come out of the model making stage. The piece came to life for me when I came up with the complicated shape of the cast concrete legs. Lets just say that the forms were very complicated to build. I knew that they were going to be interesting so I felt confident that I could exit the model making phase.

The result is a bench that I am very proud of. Bench #3 often has a hard time being noticed in my chronology because it is sandwiched between to 10′ long benches that have both been features at the LongHouse Reserve in East hampton NY. I thought I would take a moment to revisit the bench.

Bench #3 from my portfolio

Bench #3 Series #2
Mahogany and Cast Concrete 17″H x 84″W x 22″D

The bench features an asymmetrical top that has a pleasing angle towards the middle. All of the benches in this series are designed to be capable of outdoor use. The angle of the seat serves double duty, comfort and the ability to shed water. The connection to the concrete represents one of those structural moments that becomes an essential part of the design. Structural decoration as I call it. The legs are bolted to a piece of mahogany that adds to the visual thickness and rhythm of the top.

Below is another example of Bench #3. This platform is very flexible and I am able to offer custom combinations of woods, color of concrete and size. My work is all one-of-a-kind so this sort of client involvement is part of the experience.

Finally Bench #3 from Series #2 is a very capable outdoor bench. Here are some pictures from an installation at the Berkshire Botanical Gardens. Please note that benches are made as either indoor or outdoor benches. The outdoor version can always go indoors but the indoor version can not make the reverse journey.

By Nico Yektai -
New York based designer/maker Nico Yektai opened the doors to his Hamptons studio in 1995 after completing the MFA program at the School For American Craft at the Rochester Institute of Technology. The rigorous technical training complimented his background in Art History, which he studied, at Hobart College in Geneva NY. Yektai has synthesized this background into a singular style that has gained him national attention. Visit nicoyektai.com for more information