A circular seat made from deadstock bricks and an s-shaped bench are among the creative seating designs that have been installed throughout the Royal Docks as part of this year's London Festival of Architecture.

A collaboration between the London Festival of Architecture (LFA) and the Royal Docks Team (RDT), the Pews and Perches competition, now in its fourth year, calls upon emerging architects and designers to create playful seating for public spaces within London's industrial Royal Docks district.

This year's four winning benches responded to the LFA 2023 theme of "in common", which poses questions about how we create and shape shared spaces.

"We were delighted by the excellent, innovative and ambitious proposals put forward by 40 applicants," said Daniel Bridge, Programme Director of the RDT.

"They were hard to narrow down, but we have selected four fantastic designs that champion diversity – both in terms of the designers and the designs themselves," he added.

"The judges were interested in designs that challenged the conventions of both construction and the materials used. Fittingly, we ended up with benches made from three of the most abundant materials in the docks: wood, brick and metal. Each with its own striking visual impact."

Float, by London-based architecture and design duo Akasaki Vanhuyse, takes cues from maritime objects and the curved form of the nearby Royal Albert Wharf.

The round, faceted bench was made by cutting and layering deadstock bricks in a bid to pay tribute to the industrial buildings of its setting, while subverting the conventions of the material with its softened shape.

The benches will stay installed for a year following LFA, so the designers largely opted for heavier-duty materials capable of withstanding the British weather.

Informed by events ranging from the Mahsa Amini-protests in Iran to the Ukrainian war and its impact on women, Akmaral Khassen's Together We Hold bench aims to be a celebration of women standing together and creating shared safe spaces.

Located in Lyle Park, the colourful plywood-clad steel bench was designed to appear as though four women are carrying the weight of the sitter.

Also among this year's winning designs is Round The Neighbourhood, a seating arrangement that draws on circular design principles by reusing materials from Andre Kong's A Cautionary Bench/Mark, which was among last year's winners.

Conceived by London Design and Engineering University Technical College students Nicolos Makatsaria and Jericho Cabalan for the college's campus, the seating arrangement is designed around a central revolving seat that is surrounded by others of varying heights, sizes and colours.

The bench aims to bring people together to share stories and exchange cultures.

Similarly hoping to spark conversation between members of the public is London-based Studio Groove's Chit Chat Chair, located within the Royal Victoria Dock's Floating Gardens.

Crafted from 100 timber batons held together with steel braces, the s-shaped bench aims to offer a more social alternative to the typical linear park bench by placing sitters in an unusually intimate composition.

Pews and Perches forms part of the Royal Docks' official programme during LFA 2023, which is taking place across the city throughout this month. It is also part of At the Docks, a new arts, culture and events series running in the district until September 2023.

Last year's winning Pews and Perches designs included tactile papercrete stools and a bench made from high-density polyethylene plastic sourced from community waste.

Other benches featured on Dezeen include a series of textured, animal-shaped benches by Ukrainian designer Victoria Yakusha that were designed in direct response to Russia's invasion.

The photography is by Luke O'Donovan.

London Festival of Architecture takes place from 1 to 30 June 2023 at various locations across London, UK. See Dezeen Events Guide for an up-to-date list of architecture and design events taking place around the world.