Designed and made to last 100 years

Soft Square was a commissioned design for the National Assembly for Wales new Senedd building designed by renowned architect Lord Richard Rogers and officially opened by the Queen on 1st March 2006. The brief from Lord Dafydd Ellis Thomas and Richard Rogers team was to design a collection of furniture pieces to be timeless in design, have an empathy with the architecture and materials of the building, be functional and flexible, easy to maintain, consider high security issues and last a 100 years withstanding the test of time.

Designer - Angela Gidden 2005

Soft Square Sofa upholstered in Scandinavian hide to match the Fritz Hansen Swan chairs scattered around the Oriel space on the upper level of the Senedd


Soft Square Benches and Slabs in the Neuadd space on the lower level of the Senedd.

About the design & the project -
Soft Square is a family of modular sofas, benches and hubs which visually and functionally interact with each other. The over all seating solution offers a high level of flexibility and creativity with in the space together and presents a bold graphic statement.

Together in clusters, rows or structured lines Soft Square defines a confident landscape designed to compliment and empathise with the natural materials and architectural dynamics of the Senedd.

The distinctive spacing between key elements creates a sense of purposeful displacement revealing light and textures beyond. On a sensitive and practical level this detail responds to security requirements for government and public buildings by eliminating the opportunity to hide dangerous objects with in the furniture.

Designed and made in Wales using the very best materials Soft Square was created for not only one of the most important buildings in Wales but for one of the most important public spaces. With longevity at the core of the design Soft Square will become a natural intrinsic part of the buildings life and of those who use it.

Angela Gidden and her company attic 2 were commissioned by the Welsh Assembly Government to design a soft seating solution for the public areas and commitee member areas with in the new Senedd building in Cardiff Bay. Working with Richard Rogers Partnership the design criteria considered the following:

- a design that would be both striking and timeless
- a form that would compliment the architecture
- a proportion and scale that would work with the dimensions and structual detail of the building
- offer a high degree of comfort but considered the requirements for accessibility and ergonomics
- durability, to last a 100 years
- materials to consider sustainability, quality and intrinsic beauty
- security, to prevent the hiding of dangerous objects
- maintenance, easy to clean and repair