The rehabilitation of the historic centre of Banyoles, led by MIAS Architects, has transformed a vehicle-dominated area into a pedestrian-friendly environment designed around people. By removing traditional sidewalks and redefining the ground plane as a continuous surface, the project restores the public realm as a shared space. Limestone and locally sourced materials form the foundation of the intervention, reinforcing its connection to place and ensuring material coherence.

A carefully tessellated paving pattern organises circulation while preserving a sense of openness and flexibility. Restored irrigation systems recover historical water flows, reactivating the memory embedded in the site. Together with the addition of enveloping street furniture, the intervention reestablishes the original paths once used by families and children, reviving the connection between inhabitants and their public space and encouraging everyday encounters, play, and rest.

Within this renewed urban landscape, Maki benches are seamlessly integrated. Made from sustainably sourced wooden slats, they blend naturally into any environment, creating a sense of familiarity and collective memory. The series is distinguished by its aesthetic simplicity and timeless presence. Its name, Maki, evokes the textile mesh used to prepare sushi, suggesting a precise and careful arrangement of elements.

The benches’ morphology, particularly in the version with a backrest, is designed to adapt thoughtfully to the physiology of the body, offering an enveloping and comfortable seating experience. The wooden slats are meticulously arranged to generate a warm, tactile geometry that complements the mineral character of the limestone paving. This material dialogue introduces warmth and continuity to the urban intervention, softening the public space while maintaining its architectural clarity.

For installation, the benches incorporate anchoring points that allow them to be securely fixed to the ground with screws, ensuring stability and durability over time. Through their discreet yet distinctive presence, Maki benches contribute to consolidating a civic landscape that balances heritage, material authenticity, and contemporary urban life.

Edited by Durbanis

Photography by Adrià Goula