Weltevree and the Kröller-Müller Museum Put a Bench in Motion

Bench seating has its bright moments: it brings people together, creates space for conversation, and offers a casual place to rest. But it’s typically fixed in place, designed to stay put while the world moves around it. Rarely does it move in public spaces – until Dutch design brand Weltevree and the Kröller-Müller Museum decided it should. Their latest collaboration, the Wheelbench Kröller-Müller Edition, takes an iconic design and quite literally puts it in motion.

A yellow bench with a wheel on one side is placed on grass in front of a shiny, abstract bronze sculpture, surrounded by trees outdoors

Designed by Rogier Martens, the Wheelbench was originally rendered in oak as an easily movable seat. “The Wheelbench is an invitation to be active, to explore your world the way you want, time and time again,” shares Martens. A built-in wheel allows a single person to move the bench with ease, eliminating the need for extra hands. No longer a static object, the bench lets users choose their place of rest, wherever that may be.

A yellow bench with a single wheel is placed indoors near large windows and gray concrete block walls, with trees visible outside

For this new edition, aluminum was selected for its durability, lightness, and weather-resistant qualities. Installed at the Kröller-Müller Museum, the Wheelbench stands out against its natural surroundings in a cheerful sunshine-yellow hue – even the wheel hub, traditionally red, has been color-matched. Adding a playful layer, stickers illustrated by Sue Doeksen featuring artworks from the museum’s sculpture garden allow users to personalize the bench, turning it into a moving souvenir that carries memories of art and place.

A yellow bench sits on grass in front of a reflective glass cube structure surrounded by trees in a park setting.

A small pond with a large white abstract sculpture and several yellow benches on green grass, surrounded by tall leafy trees in a park setting.

“The Kröller-Müller Museum is a beloved place in nature. Here, almost in our backyard, you are left with the basics (nature and yourself). This makes the artworks even more powerful,” says Bülent Yokus, owner of Weltevree. “With the new metal version of the Wheelbench, we have an indestructible product that invites you to stroll to the most beautiful spots in the sculpture garden.”

A yellow wheelbarrow and chair are on grass in the foreground; a modern white sculpture stands by a reflective pond in a wooded park

Three people sit on yellow benches in front of a large outdoor mural featuring abstract black and white line art, set in a wooded park area

A yellow metal bench sits in a dry, overgrown field with wild plants, and a small wooden building is visible in the background among trees

Close-up of a yellow wheelbarrow with a single black wheel on a gravelly surface, surrounded by sparse grass and plants

A yellow bench with handles and a wheel, designed like a wheelbarrow, sits on grass near a patch of wood chips

Whether in a sunny spot in your backyard or beside a favorite artwork in a famous sculpture garden, where you rest is up to you – the Wheelbench just gets you there.

Close-up of a yellow outdoor metal bench with sunlight highlighting embossed text on the frame

A yellow wooden bench sits in front of a dark wooden building with a yellow-framed window; greenery grows in the foreground

A person pushes a yellow wheelbarrow along a path in front of a small wooden building with a cross on the roof, surrounded by grass and trees

Close-up of a yellow wheelbarrow with a black rubber wheel, resting on green grass with blurred plants in the background

A person wearing a dark sweater and jeans carries a yellow chair outdoors on a grassy area

A person stands near yellow benches with wheels in an overgrown grassy area, with trees and a metal structure in the background

To learn more about the Wheelbench Kröller-Müller Edition by Weltevree in collaboration with the Kröller-Müller Museum, please visit weltevree.eu.

Photography courtesy of Weltevree.

As the Senior Contributing Editor, Vy Yang is obsessed with discovering ways to live well + with intention through design. She's probably sharing what she finds over on Instagram stories. You can also find her at vytranyang.com.

Comments (0)

format_indent_decrease
AI Article