Kebne is a minimalistic outdoor gym that forms an abstract mountain scenery inspired by Sweden's highest mountain. The gym is a welcoming and including product family that positions itself somewhere between public furniture, sculpture and landscape architecture.

Design Team

Johan Kauppi, Designer MFA
Nina Kauppi, Designer MFA

Kauppi & Kauppi Kebne
Kebne - Close up in anthracite grey

Kauppi & Kauppi Kebne Kebne outdoor gym in bright Yellow

Kauppi & Kauppi Kebne Outdoor gym
Kebne - Five units and a sign

Kauppi & Kauppi Kebne Kebne units in a row formation

Kauppi & Kauppi Kebne Sign with pictographic symbols as guidance and inspiration to common exercises.

Kauppi & Kauppi
Kebne One of two units with wood plateaus made out of Accoya

Kauppi & Kauppi
Kebne First prototype test

Kauppi & Kauppi
Kebne Kebne scenery on a wooden deck

Kauppi & Kauppi Kebne
Kebne scenery by the sea

Kauppi & Kauppi
Kebne Kebne in a park

Kauppi & Kauppi Kebne
Kebne on a wooden deck

Kauppi & Kauppi Kebnekaise
Kebnekaise mountain

Kebne outdoor gym is inspired by Kebnekaise, Sweden's highest mountain—not only by its shape and theme but also as a phenomenon. Kebnekaise gathers a wide diversity of people who all have different conditions but share the same goal—to enjoy a challenge.

Kebne is a furniture family of five units, designed for strength training, stretching and other exercises using only your own body as counterweight. Kebne invites you to participate in natural and informal outdoor training in public, without having to sign up for a gym membership. The design offers almost limitless exercise possibilities. The many crossbars, placed at different heights, make it possible for almost everyone regardless of age, height or level of fitness to use it. Various body positions and angles together with different types of grips, determine the severity and type of exercise. The system provides a sign with pictographic symbols as guidance for how to perform the most common muscle training exercises using the different furniture.

"We wanted to create an intuitive, informal and social outdoor gym, which also had its own identity, shape and story. We like to consider Kebne both as units to furnish landscapes, as well as exercise and activity equipment. The intention is to offer architects and city planners greater opportunities to furnish site locations with content that has both functional and social added values. Airy figures that both embellish and interact with urban public spaces and landscapes," says the designers Johan and Nina Kauppi.

Looking from a landscape architect point of view, existing alternatives may look alienated or too rough for many situations. Often constructed as machines trying to mimic the expression and functions of indoor gyms.

"An important aim in our design process was that our gym should be able to welcome most lengths, ages, genders and fitness levels. The design has few limits when it comes to how and what to exercise. Our intention is that Kebne will entice as many users as possible to find new playful possibilities to create a joyful relationship to their workout. Everyone is free to use the furniture the way they want, whether it's stretching, tough muscle training, acrobatics, yoga or just a fun place to hang out", says the two Swedish designers.

Thanks to the triangular shapes of the design, the units create strong and stable self-supporting constructions that allow bolting on suitable foundations—or more conventional by land casting, common in green areas. When installing, various materials can be chosen as damping such as wood chips, rubber granulate or sand, to supplement the properties of the furniture or actual requirements.

The construction of 38 mm steel bars are electro-galvanized and powder coated, available in three different colors; bright yellow, rusty red and anthracite gray. The wood plateaus are made out of treated Accoya with characteristics suitable for harsh outdoor environments. A quality suitable for city squares, schoolyards, along beach walks or in connection to recreation areas.

Kebne is produced by Swedish company Nola Industrier. Nola is one of Scandinavia's leading manufacturers of contemporary outdoor products. Kebne is Nola´s first product to launch in the category of fitness furniture.

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