Five iconic JCDecaux street furniture items showcased at Lille Métropole 2020 World Design Capital exhibition

JCDecaux SA (Euronext Paris: DEC), the number one outdoor advertising company worldwide, today unveils several of its iconic street furniture items at Lille’s Tripostal. The showcase is part of the “Design Designer(s)” exhibition, one of four major public showings taking place from 9 September until 15 November 2020.
 
The European Metropolis of Lille (Métropole Européenne de Lille [MEL]) wins the 2020 World Design Capital award, following in the footsteps of Turin, Seoul, Helsinki, Cape Town, Taipei and Mexico City. Among the 50 or so events held during this unprecedented year, MEL is hosting the “Design Designer(s)” exhibition, honouring more than 70 designers, their projects and their corporate design process. JCDecaux, a key player in urban design, sees five of its street furniture pieces selected for one of the nine spaces in the exhibition entitled “Aménager” (Arranging). The latter displays major transportation systems and urban development projects including:

• a Patrick Jouin Abribus® bus shelter, emblematic of JCDecaux;
• a signal mast from the 1970s, which serves as a reminder of JCDecaux’s vision since its inception: creating product design that meets the public’s needs, marrying functionality with aesthetics;
• a Vélo’v docking station equipped with removable batteries and a vel’OH! (Luxembourg’s electric bike system). These are two new JCDecaux developments that innovatively combine design and public service. The bikes were designed by JCDecaux’s studio team, led by Franco-Argentinian designer Marcelo Joulia;
• A newsstand prototype designed by matali crasset. The street furniture piece reflects JCDecaux’s service-oriented culture. Offering a moment of calm in the urban setting, it is a gathering place. Practical, inviting and user-friendly, it’s there for locals and tourists in their day-to-day lives.

 
For over 55 years, JCDecaux has designed more than just elegant objects, it has been dedicated to the design of street furniture that enhances urban living. The Group has a duty to those who use public spaces to deliver a daily service that is practical, easy-to-use and provides comfort. JCDecaux also aspires to ensure high-quality maintenance over the long-term.
 
Functionality and everyday use have always inspired JCDecaux. Design has allowed the Group to constantly achieve innovation in many areas, including communication, information, signs, mobility and public hygiene, among many more.

Sylvain Grandpierre, Graphic, Digital and Product Design Director of JCDecaux, said: “For JCDecaux, design is not just about aesthetics. By leveraging the expertise of our entire team and partner base, the Group has systematically adopted a responsible Design method for its street furniture. Our approach is based on five core and inherent values: satisfying the uses of today and imagining those of tomorrow, without offsetting style to functionality; enhancing cities while fitting harmoniously into their architecture and heritage; cementing and transforming locations’ identities; supporting cities as they transform by addressing diverse challenges, particularly the environment; and delivering quality and safety under all circumstances, without having to compromise”.

Jean-Charles Decaux, Chairman of the Executive Board and Co-CEO of JCDecaux, said: “For JCDecaux, which has supported urban development projects for more than 55 years, our showcase at the ‘Design Designer(s)’ exhibition is a testament of our commitment since the first-ever street furniture advertising contract signed in 1964. As our Founder, Jean-Claude Decaux, famously said: ‘To give meaning to our cities, we must consider their residents and their needs. When we respect their history and architecture, our cities are given a purpose. We give our cities meaning by protecting their environs’. The Group enjoys a long-standing partnership with designers and architects. More than 200 of them have collaborated with our designers and engineers to invent the urban solutions unveiled in this exhibition. Whether it’s Abribus® bus shelters, self-service bikes, newsstands, signs or other products and services, they reflect our unwavering commitment to maintaining and enhancing street furniture that is designed to last. Our furniture is recognised for its style, owing to our unique expertise”.