New York City’s Bryant Park being one of the first free public wifi spots in America, just did it again.
The innovative Bryant Park team known for creative programming like fitness classes in the morning and Broadway entertainment at night jumped onboard an idea to offer more new free technology in the form of intelligently designed free charging stations in the park. CityCharge is born from the good work from Green Barrel Energy and Landscapeforms along with the park.
What do you get when you combine a smart solar company, public space furniture designer and about the most innovative public park cultures in the USA?
The CityCharge urban grade solar-powered charging station that has six charging cables. On the top is a solar disc containing voltaic strips looking straight up to heaven (and the sun) and the bottom portion resembles a table.
The whole contraption looks and feels smart with wheels that can make it easy to mobilize serving any of the lowest of batteries in the park.
Now you’ve got a spot to put down your mobile phone long enough for a romantic gesture in the park. The shape of the CityCharge table is designed to inspire people to social interaction in person instead of just online according to the project’s industrial designer, Ignacio Ciocchini.
In case you were wondering, he’s the same genius behind the award-winning tulip trash cans in the park. And in my book, anyone who can make garbage attractive deserves recognition.