Most furniture tells you exactly what to do with it. A chair says sit. A table says set things down. A bench says sit, maybe share the space. The X Bench Swing, the latest from Rotterdam-based studio The New Raw, has a slightly more interesting ask: sit, rock, and do it facing the opposite direction from whoever’s sitting next to you.
That setup sounds strange until you see it. The bench seats two people, but the clever part is that both sitters face opposite ways while sharing a single rocking motion. Think of it less like a traditional bench and more like a kinetic sculpture that happens to be incredibly functional. The form is defined by two intersecting volumes that create a sculptural, sturdy X-shaped structure. It’s the kind of piece that makes you want to walk around it before you sit down.
Designer:
The New Raw describes the design’s intent with quiet confidence: “X Bench explores movement as a design principle.” That could easily read as throwaway design-speak, but when you look at the object itself, it actually lands. The rocking motion isn’t just a feature. It’s the whole point of the bench. The movement is built into the geometry, encoded in the alternating orientation of the seats, and made possible by a curved base that lets both sitters sway in rhythm even while facing away from each other.
And yes, it’s 3D printed, but not the kind of 3D printing you might be picturing. The New Raw works with industrial robotic arms to fabricate their pieces layer by layer from recycled polypropylene (rPP), plastic waste that would otherwise not have much of a future. Each X Bench uses 55 kilograms of recycled plastic and saves an estimated 143 kilograms of CO2 compared to conventional manufacturing. The studio sources materials from local recyclers in Rotterdam, prints on demand, and uses no adhesives or mixed materials, which means every piece can be fully recycled at the end of its life. The sustainability story here isn’t bolted on as an afterthought. It is the manufacturing philosophy.
The result is a bench that looks nothing like recycled plastic is supposed to look. The surface texture has a tactile, almost geological quality. The layered printing process turns what could be a visual liability into a genuine aesthetic. It reads as warm and handcrafted even though a robot arm built it. That tension between industrial process and sensory finish is, arguably, The New Raw’s most consistent signature across their body of work.
At 70 x 140 x 76 cm, the X Bench isn’t small, but it’s sized for real use. It works indoors or out, which makes it an easy fit for public spaces, gardens, lobbies, or any room that can absorb a statement piece without turning into a gallery. The studio describes it as suited for spaces “with an open-hearted character,” which I’d translate as: don’t put this in a minimalist white box and expect it to whisper quietly in the corner.
The social dimension baked into the design is where the piece gets genuinely interesting. Sitting across from someone on a bench is one kind of dynamic. Sitting back to back while you both rock is another kind of conversation entirely. It invites a sideways glance, a shared rhythm, an awareness of another person without the weight of direct eye contact. For a piece of furniture, that’s a lot to offer.
A lot of sustainable design right now carries a slightly apologetic quality, as if the environmental credentials are meant to compensate for aesthetic compromise. The X Bench doesn’t do that. It’s confident, a little playful, and the fact that it’s made from waste plastic feels like a bonus rather than a burden. The New Raw has been quietly making that argument with their work for years. With the X Bench Swing, they’re making it more clearly than ever.
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