As COVID-19 dominates headlines and rocks economies across the globe, business owners, manufacturers, designers and artists are innovating to provide solutions to social distancing restrictions.
We're not sure if these concepts will ever catch on, but we love the creativity. Here are our top 5:
1. Mediamatic - Quarantine Greenhouses
This Amsterdam restaurant is translating the requirements of social distancing into a positive customer experience. The individual dining units are both weatherproof and respect social distancing guidelines, giving customers an intimate dining experience. We can't help wonder why no one has done this before!
2. Avio Interiors - Janus Seat
Named after two-faced Janus, god of Ancient Rome, this seating system allows three passengers to be seated next to each other in close proximity, without compromising social distancing protocols.
3. Umberto Menasci - SafeBeach
The innovative concept from this Rome-based designer uses partitioned areas for people to relax in, enforcing stringent social distancing measures that could allow people to return to the beach while staying safe.
4. Fortum - Hands-Free Door Handles
In Helsinki "hands free" fridge door handles made from recycled plastic are being tested in supermarkets. The Finnish energy company Fortum produced them within two weeks using 3D technology.
5. Plastique Fantastic - Sphere
From the end of April it became compulsory to cover the nose and mouth whilst using public transport in Berlin. In response, Plastique Fantastique created iSphere and started an open-source project that anyone could produce, develop and improve.
Whatever our new world of lifting lockdown and social distancing looks like, we can be sure it won't be the same as before.
Header photo by Evgeni Tcherkasski on Unsplash
