The Ypsilon Benches Are Awakened After 17 Years

Norwegian designer Daniel Rybakken is known worldwide for his designs, interiors, installations, and prototypes – yet the Ypsilon bench It is his first time working with a Norwegian music producer. Vestre. “I created the design for this bench back in 2005, and have often thought about it over the years. Vestre immediately loved the design concept when I approached them before summer of 2022. Then it was a quick route to take it into production,” says Rybakken, adding that the shape of the bench hasn’t changed since his first design prototype.

A Vestre hallmark is the brand’s durable, sustainable, well-designed benches for urban environments, which is right in line with Rybakken’s vision. The designer clearly pictured the form and concept of the Ypsilon bench from the start, a simple yet stable design that wasn’t visually cumbersome. It had to be comfortable.

The bench’s stripped down design features angled, linear solid glulam beams, which rest on laser-cut and bent sheets of galvanized steel. The beams create a comfortable seat while the slope allows for water to easily run off of the seating surface. Glulam beams allow for very long lengths to be made of the Ypsilon Bench.

”The contrasts between the materials are interesting, both between the steel and the glulam, and in the space between the beams of the seat. The main base element is not welded. Instead, it resembles folded paper. This combines the best of steel and wood. I like form-wise innovation where you can work with traditional materials and still create something new,” says Rybakken.

No detail is left to chance, as the designer compares production of the Ypsilon Bench to indoor furniture. Due to the high level of precision used in the production, the benches can be used indoors or outdoors.

The Ypsilon is available both in a round and a straight version. Both versions can be customized with armrests, backrests, and a flexible metal top. Seats are available in either impregnated pine, or ash. Vestre’s products are made from hot-dip Swedish steel and Nordic pine, which is sourced from sustainable forests. They are available in 200 colors RAL, with a lifetime warranty against rust.

Daniel Rybakkan Photo: Einar Aslaksen

For more information about the Ypsilon benches, please visit vestre.com.

Kelly Beall, senior editor of Design Milk. Since she was a child, the Pittsburgh-based writer and graphic designer has been passionate about art and design. She loves to share her discoveries with others. If she is not distracted by the beauty of art and design, you can find her in the kitchen or on the sofa with her three dogs. You can find her on social media @designcrush.