Athens Bench Mark

A creative internet competition to design the benches of Athens begins with the aim of contributing to the improvement of life in the city. The City of Athens and the international non-governmental network, "World of Athens," are holding an international internet competion titled "Athens Bench Mark" on the topic of the benches of Athens, aiming to improve the quality of life in the city.

The competition is part of the City of Athens' broader programme known as "Athens 2010," which is based on five main axes strengthening the Green, Social, Digital, Participatory and Creative development of Athens.

The Athens Bench Mark competition - submission of proposals and voting - will be held from 23 February to 6 April through the www.athensbenchmark.com website. It is open to everyone - designers, artists and citizens from Athens and the world; they are invited to create or select a bench, thus leaving their own mark on the city.

More specifically, anyone who is interested may submit design ideas and solutions for new benches in Athens. At the same time, artists are invited to submit their artistic view of the Bench of the Future, without any technical restrictions.

The public may view the submissions and choose the best through online voting. There will also be a special assessment committee consisting of recognised professionals and distinguished artists in design and the visual arts, representatives of the mass media and the bodies staging the competition, who are in alphabetical order:

• Theano Dioli (representing the City of Athens)

• Daphne Zouboulaki (gallery owner)

• Tatiana Karapanagioti (photographer-producer)

• Katerina Katsabe (City of Athens Council Member and President of the Athens Tourism and Economic Development Company)

• Sergios Fotiadis (industrial designer)

• Maria Houkli (journalist)

• (An architect to be announced)

The three best proposals for the Athens Benches will receive cash prizes and at least one of these will be mass produced to furnish the city.

The 50 most popular ideas for Benches of the Future will be exhibited at Technopolis from 26 April to 9 May and the three best ones will receive cash prizes.

Finally, students, school and citizens are invited to participate in the Athens Bench Mark volunteer programme in May, when with the help of the City of Athens and its maintenance crew, they can help repair the existing benches in Athens.

The Athens Bench Mark programme hopes to function as a "benchmark" for future efforts to improve the quality of life in the city of Athens.

For more information, please contact Ms Maria Halari, tel. 2106889268, 6974477268, press@athensbenchmark.com