Designer…Traffic Guides? Unique Spaces, Custom Bollards

architecture - engineering - construction

Designer…Traffic Guides? Unique Spaces, Custom Bollards

June 25, 2021

Fin bollards are both barrier and sculpture. Source: , November 2018

Elevating the functional and making it distinctive!

Bollards—those short posts that guide traffic and protect perimeters—can be highly visible hazard markers. The simplest security bollards are made of yellow-painted steel pipe. However, in more formal settings, bollards can be chosen to complement the landscape or architecture, adding a sculptural touch. Stock decorative bollards are available in modern, historic, quaint, or classic looks. Sites that want a unique or branded look can customize bollards to fit their site plan.

Hardscape and street furniture create a distinctive ambience. A site tells something about its values based on the amenities it offers. For example, thoughtful placement of . Infrastructure can create a sense of place: , fire escapes, and cellar doors are part of the recognizable feel of the city.

London’s distinctive black, red, and white bollards protect perimeters throughout the city.

Bollards are another distinctive piece of hardscape that can make a place stand out. In the UK, they’re often customized as city and regional markers. London famously has black, red, and white bollards. These are usually seven- or eight-sided bollards, with a pattern of stars around the upper rim. The shape and size of the bollard form changes as its application changes. Pedestrian areas often need narrower bollards that don’t have a large footprint on the sidewalk. These often feature pointed dome caps that look like lemon juicers. These pointed tops can’t become a final resting spot for coffee cups and other refuse.

Other City of London bollards are thicker, with flatter tops, and have been designed to slide over an anti-ram security bollard. By modifying the classic design, London keeps their unique, custom aesthetic, while adapting to support the bollard’s site function.

City of London bollards are not the only ones visible within the city limits: parliament, parks, and offices have their own styles. Bollards outline distinct areas within the crowded urban environment. London’s tight streets also make the bell bollard a popular choice. These bollards, available as a custom order in North America, are designed to return wheels to the roadway if a vehicle turns too sharply around a corner and runs up on the sidewalk.

@reliancefoundry #reliancefoundry #bollards

Company: Reliance Foundry Co. Ltd.