Équiparc mandated ALTO Design to create its new DELTA street furniture collection. This addition to the Quebec-based manufacturer’s range of products impresses with the simplicity of its lines, which evoke both robustness and sophistication.

Elegant urban objects

This project was Alto Design’s first foray into urban furniture. “We are very pleased with this new collaboration with Équiparc, which gave us the opportunity to draw on several years of reflection on this type of object,” explains Mario Gagnon, ALTO Design President.

The industrial design team wanted to develop a signature for the new collection that was refined yet masculine. Conceived as urban objects, the DELTA collection includes two benches, a table, two waste receptacles, two planters and a bike rack.

A strong identity

Bevels characterize the identity of this high-end urban furniture collection. The bevel cuts featured on every edge flow naturally from metal to wood, enhancing the product’s contemporary signature and comfort. The cast aluminium support elements provide outstanding visual stability while the lateral recesses suggest lightness and elegance.

The double layer of the overhanging seating elements gives the design its solid and urban look. The thin coloured line inlaid in the wood adds a dash of audacity, in addition to serving as a reflective safety feature. The laser-cut Équiparc signature brings a finishing touch of sophistication to the entire collection.

The calibration of every detail

“The finishing detail of the seat’s perpendicular boards resembles teak sailboat decks,” states Thomas-Éric Béliveau, industrial designer.  The control and integration of shapes contribute to the bench’s fluidity. Touching the surfaces reveals their true finesse. The calibration of radii, grooves and board width for the various furniture elements posed a considerable challenge. Carrying out the iterative work using full-scale mock-ups enabled us to find the right balance to ensure uniformity throughout the collection.

Expressive in nature, the collection reflects the close collaboration between the designers and the manufacturer. “The affinity between the client and the designers is primordial to a product’s success. At ALTO Design, our creativity is directly linked to the dynamic and transparency that such a rapport offers. Équiparc’s DELTA collection is a great example of this.” concludes Mario Gagnon.  

About ALTO Design

Convinced that great ideas arise from differing points of view and experiences, ALTO has built a multidisciplinary team of 25 passionate people. Founded in Montreal in 1986 by Mario Gagnon, today ALTO is the leading Canadian industrial design and engineering firm.

At ALTO, technical prowess serves creativity and creativity serves experience. Because considering a project in all its aspects first means considering who the project is for.

ALTO’s open space studio and vast prototyping workshop are scaled to its ambitions and mandates, which originate from activity sectors as varied as transportation, the medical and scientific field, consumer goods and recreational products.

About Équiparc

Équiparc has been the Quebec leader in the manufacturing of high quality street furniture for nearly 30 years. The company’s unparalleled expertise in custom projects has led it to participate in several prestigious mandates such as the Entertainment District in Montréal, the Place Bourget in Joliette, the Promenade Samuel-de-Champlain in Québec and the Quartier International de Montréal (QIM). 

Aside from several large-scale projects, what mainly contributed to making Équiparc an exceptional brand is the company’s commitment to developing and encouraging creative Quebec talent. Since its creation, Équiparc has been one of the few manufacturers to collaborate with the province’s renowned and emerging industrial designers to design unique and innovative urban furniture.