Russian architects Arch Group have designed a booth for taking a quick nap in busy urban environments.
Called Sleepbox, the units could be rented for between fifteen minutes and several hours.
The architects envisage them installed at train stations, airports and shopping centres.
Between users the bedding would be automatically changed, with sheets wound from one roller onto another.
More about Arch Group: Moscow United electricity control centre
Here’s some more information from Arch Group:
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SLEEPBOX
Imagine the situation that you are in the modern city, where you are not a local resident, and you have not booked a hotel.
It is not comfortable situation, because in the modern, aggressive cities there are no opportunity to rest and relax. If you want to sleep, while waiting your plane or train, it may cause many security and hygiene problems. We believe that urban infrastructure should be more comfortable for people. For this purpose we have developed a device SLEEPBOX. It provides moments of quiet sleep and rest from the city without wasting time searching for a hotel.
Here are the possible locations for SLEEPBOX:
- Railroad stations
- Airports
- Expocentres
- Public and shopping centers
- Accommodation facilities
In countries with warm climate SLEEPBOX can be used on the streets. Thanks to SLEEPBOX any person has an opportunity to spend the night safely and cheaply in case of emergency, or when you have to spend few hours with your baggage.
SLEEPBOX is a small mobile space (box) 2mx1.4mx2.3m (h). The main functional element in it is a bed 2×0.6 m, which is equipped with automatic system of change of bed linen. Bed is soft, flexible strip of foamed polymer with the surface of the pulp tissue. Tape is rewound from one shaft to another, changing the bed. If a client wants to sleep in maximum comfort, he can take the normal set of bed linen for an extra fee.
SLEEPBOX is equipped with a ventilation system, sound alerts, built-in LCD TV, WiFi, sockets for a laptop, charging phones. Also under the lounges is a place for luggage.
After the clients exit, automatic change of bed linen starts and quartz lamps turns on. Payment can be made on a shared terminal, which provides the client with an electronic key. It is possible to buy from 15 minutes to several hours.
SLEEPBOX is intended primarily to perform one main function – to enable a person to sleep peacefully. But it can also be equipped with various additional functions, depending on the situation. Application of the device can be very broad, not only in the form of paid public service, but also for internal purposes of organizations and companies.
Area: 3.75 m2
Architects: Goryainov A., Krymov M.
Design: 2009
November 10th, 2009 at 10:50 am
Love the general idea but wouldn’t be a place for young lovers (or something worse) to express themselves????
November 10th, 2009 at 10:54 am
I love it!
I can recall so many times when i’ve been out shopping or had a big meal and just want to have a little nap before going off and about my day.
November 10th, 2009 at 10:59 am
very nice idea and design
…but I think that’s almost an utopia. I imagine people go into for making sex. Moreover, as police is forbidding cabinet for luggage deposit, I think they’ll do the same for safety reason: everybody could enter and leave inside whatever he wants
Probably it would work in the North of Europe
November 10th, 2009 at 11:10 am
What an inspired idea!
November 10th, 2009 at 12:07 pm
this looks cool
November 10th, 2009 at 12:12 pm
great idea, молодцы
but it’s really more about utopia…
November 10th, 2009 at 12:39 pm
Looks good, but I wouldn’t sleep in it. It looks cold and hard. I would have created warmer colors and less light. interesting concept on the whole.
November 10th, 2009 at 1:01 pm
the same style
http://domgoda.com/projects/219/
as we say in Russia, “very creative”
November 10th, 2009 at 1:10 pm
Sex is just as natural as sleep, so what if they use it for sex….either way it is used for a good thing…
November 10th, 2009 at 1:21 pm
This idea is not utopia, it is sick. People treated like machines to do money. Only work, sleep, work sleep. No family, no friends…. And sex in machine.
November 10th, 2009 at 1:47 pm
Great idea but will clearly become a rude box in no time,I can see prostitutes loving them , finally they get their own offices .
November 10th, 2009 at 1:49 pm
does anyone remember what happened when david blane suspended himself in a glass box in london? the local population took great delight in hitting golf balls at him, throwing stuff and generally being a nuisance.
i think the same would happen to anyone who wanted to use one of these if they were placed anywhere in the UK. get a bit of drink in us and we would just love to bang on the box as hard as possible, urinate through the ventilation holes and then try to tip it over
November 10th, 2009 at 2:06 pm
This is something I really hope becomes real. Often there will be crazy 11hr layover at an airport, often not enough time to get out of the airport, it would be so nice to be able to have a nice snooze.
November 10th, 2009 at 2:08 pm
Wank Bank
November 10th, 2009 at 2:08 pm
I love it.. quite fantastic..hopefully not to suffocating for some folks.. are there two bed suites as well for those travelling around Amsterdam?
Anyways, sorry about the rude joke, this is quite cool.. I would love to see this in the future.. maybe there are some ways these things can stack, or clip onto another in an airport corner/wall for instance.
November 10th, 2009 at 2:55 pm
Like the idea – i would sleep / do it in one of those things. It needs wheels though so i could just live in it. Could also be used to help the homeless. Lots of applications besides a sexxin in the airport.
November 10th, 2009 at 5:07 pm
You could always put a security camera in the sleep box to keep people from using it for anything other than sleeping, although I don’t know how many people would be comfortable with that.
November 10th, 2009 at 5:20 pm
I agree with the above comments- these would not be safe for the streets, especially in areas where the mischievious could access them (for sex or just to annoy the folks sleeping inside).
But these would be great in areas where they could be watched by security- airports or businesses, or even hotels that want to offer a “nap” option.
My question is, how do they ensure that the person resting leaves once their time is up? It would be hilarious if they were spring-loaded.
November 10th, 2009 at 5:30 pm
Nice! Conjugal booths!
November 10th, 2009 at 5:32 pm
nice the shape of the window in the door elevation, but, as you can see, you cannot close completely the curtain. It means no privacy in a super public space.
November 10th, 2009 at 5:34 pm
If u do that than shame on you!!.
I Just love the idea, the concerns it has generated has solutions but that wont stop me fron liking it!!
November 10th, 2009 at 5:42 pm
This is very nice idea, but this is (IMHO) same thing as capsule hotel sistem in Japan. And in Japan all this idea about cheep and safely sleeping is working just fine.
November 10th, 2009 at 5:43 pm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capsule_hotel
anyway, this design here is far better than japan design!
November 10th, 2009 at 5:47 pm
To hopefully weed out some of the ’seedier’ clientele these could be credit/debit/etc card operated, with no cash payment option. To the last comment, perhaps to keep people from staying inside past their time limit, if the door has not been opened and it is determined you are indeed still inside the unit can continue to charge your card. This would encourage people to leave promptly to avoid additional charges. If prostitution or drug use is a foreseeable problem, perhaps in the areas where these units would be most effective (airports/train stations) an attendant could oversee a cluster of units that are stacked/connected. A two-way mirror as opposed to the window shown in the photos would make for better privacy as well, allowing occupants to not feel claustrophobic while ensuring that others cannot see in. Lastly, who cares if people have sex in them? As long as they aren’t used as offices for prostitutes I see nothing wrong. People have sex in every hotel room you and I have slept in. As long as these units are disinfected upon client change, no harm done.
November 10th, 2009 at 5:48 pm
Nice design, but the cleaning aspect is going to be a major fail.
“Sheets wound from one roll to another”? Oh yeah, that won’t break at all. Additionlly, those sheets on a roll will probably not be made of the highest quality material in order to be disposable, so they probably won’t be the most comfortable to sleep on.
I don’t think the rest of the interior will stay clean either–has anyone been to a public restroom at an airport?
And what’s with the glass? Why do I want any transparency for people to view me–kinda foolish.
November 10th, 2009 at 7:07 pm
Nice idea… but I don’t want to imagine going into one
after a “lovely” couple and have it reek of sex… or worse
November 10th, 2009 at 7:40 pm
Single-use sheets included or should I carry my sleeping-bag all the time?
November 10th, 2009 at 8:07 pm
my main problem with this, in a country like many in the american continent, those booths would be occupied by bums who would excersize squatter rights
November 10th, 2009 at 8:19 pm
Wow, it’s not for streets. It’s for universities!
November 10th, 2009 at 8:33 pm
Japanese coffin hotel meets love hotel. Perfect match. I would only use it for sex. I’m not a day time sleeper.
November 10th, 2009 at 8:41 pm
Great idea – nice design. Just never turn on a black-light in there … because you don’t want to see what you will see.
November 10th, 2009 at 9:28 pm
think the idea is good, it has an unde underlying good idea in itself. But there are clearly other forms in order to perform the same functions, but more transparent
November 10th, 2009 at 10:21 pm
Well, if the sleep doesn’t take off they can take a different approach and run with the idea of calling it ‘Sleezebox’
November 11th, 2009 at 1:08 am
It would be nice if it didn’t feel like you were inside an X-Box 360. The lustrous white wash interior or the apologist wood veneer variation doesn’t seem to accommodate a good atmosphere for sleeping.
Otherwise, the project is quite clever, particularly the plan that accomodates a small work station as well as a bed.
November 11th, 2009 at 11:10 am
very interesting idea, however not a first.
you’ve indeed highlighted positive potentials of a place at a plane/train station where you have free private time, away from the world. however, something as public as these boxes have many implications;
- public places (eg-toilets) quickly become vandalised and poluuted/dirty,
regardless of their surroundings.
- as for a safe place to spend a night on the street in an emergency, they are not necessarily the safest place, whether doors are locked or not. junkies will go to extreme measures to steal.
-they will attract young sexual deviants, but who really cares??
otherwise, nice idea.
maybe alleways filled with rows of these that people personally own could be pretty cool. home could be out of town, and in the city you have a peaceful place to escape during a lunchbreak or between double shifts etc.
add a mini fridge in the corner
i hope this is at least slightly insightful.
November 11th, 2009 at 12:22 pm
Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz ! Happy inside !
November 11th, 2009 at 12:53 pm
what about if sleep box supervisor people were employed, might help security and hygiene issues,
November 11th, 2009 at 1:01 pm
Shinisha is right! Been there, done that. They seem to work fine where they are now, mostly in Japan.
November 11th, 2009 at 2:12 pm
looks very cleanable from an infection control viewpoint.
November 11th, 2009 at 2:24 pm
Great idea.Jet lag,waiting ,and trying to sleep on an uncomfortable piece of airport furniture resolved simply.
November 11th, 2009 at 2:38 pm
@ Annie – “spring loaded” haha, brilliant thought…
I think this is actually a very nice idea, the whole preoccupation with couple going in for a bit of nookie, I don’t think is really that much of an issue, one thing you could do is have one of the walls as “privalit” glass so that for security concerns (which is the REAL issue here) someone could flick an override switch and reveal what was going on inside. This way CCTV inside would not be required (although that is an obvious way to allay fears regarding misuse or breach of security. But largely, the success of this is based on how it is managed as has already been suggested.
The one other key issue (also management related) is that if you have a flight with about 200 people which is delayed for 10 hours, then you would need a WHOLE load more of those booths than the images suggest (depending on how they were priced).
As to vandalism etc, at the risk of over-simplifying I believe that if you design a prison, people are going to treat it as one, its all about the value placed on the object (again management related).
So, in summary: lovely design – clever management crucial.
November 11th, 2009 at 3:46 pm
what is wrong with using the space for sex, and perhaps a post-nooky nap? are we naively assuming people don’t have sex in HOTEL ROOMS either? plus, sex hotels work well in japan. as long as i couldn’t hear it from the outside…
November 11th, 2009 at 4:14 pm
Ya, all I would be using this for is
A) Getting High
or
B) Having ridiculous sex
Unless you clustered them and had some security, it does not seem like a good idea. Personally, I would never feel comfortable lying down in some coffin like thing in the middle of a public place.
November 11th, 2009 at 7:29 pm
Shouldn’t it be a Mac?
November 11th, 2009 at 9:12 pm
What the world needs is a good, basic, rentable love shack. And a 5 cent cigar afterwards. But, now that you can’t smoke inside airports anymore…
November 11th, 2009 at 10:59 pm
going to make a proposal for our international airport to make one of these. built in alarm clock and auto bed sheet change
November 12th, 2009 at 1:05 am
Muito massa!
Acho que realmente ajudaria em momentos de correria fora de casa. Acho que usaria um desses para teste…não sei. E claro, logo logo as pessoas usariam para sexo, claro…rsrs…
November 12th, 2009 at 1:32 am
Great concept ! With complete UV coverage, nearly perfect.
Additions needed:
Sensors for objects, or liquids left.
Auto shutdown till objects are removed.
November 12th, 2009 at 3:14 am
Great idea. Management essential.
Not sure what the issue is with people having a little fun, as long as they clean up – hell why not?
November 12th, 2009 at 9:47 am
Just good enough to make love to a computer!
Safe sex, cold love…sign of the times .
November 12th, 2009 at 6:18 pm
Good innovation of the Capsule hotel by Kisho Kurokawa, which allows the locals or travellers to get some rest…
November 13th, 2009 at 11:41 am
If prostitutes are going to use these things, the airports might as well make a little extra profit by providing the “full service booth” option.
November 13th, 2009 at 12:15 pm
why does it need to be so big?
this thing looks terribly inefficient…
November 13th, 2009 at 10:04 pm
totally for sex… only sex.
November 14th, 2009 at 4:57 am
I really like this, If used only in airports I don’t believe the above problem mentioned above with junkies bums or prostitutes would be an issue much, if at all.
I’d only add an impenetrable smoke sensor, and an actual person to act as an attendant/cleaner and to call the airport security. that would weed out all the nefarious activities. As long as no one can hear you going at it or doesn’t report it, I think the sex wouldn’t be a problem. The bathrooms in the airplane are used for the same thing:Mile-high club!
maybe if you left a . . mess They could charge a little cleanup fee and deauthorize that box until the attendant gets to it.
if it was like that I think it’d be greatly successfull.
November 14th, 2009 at 1:05 pm
I see this working in airports and such where there is security to monitor the use.
November 14th, 2009 at 5:35 pm
Oh, Design Gods, when will the tired iPod design cliches be over?
November 14th, 2009 at 8:08 pm
Just one thing, how do you get people to leave? If they pay on entry, how are they actually made to leave once the time is up? If they work like a car park, and you get a ticket that you “present” on exit, and pay for what you’ve used then what is to stop the person just not getting an initial ticket and inhabiting the box? If the door doesn’t open until you’ve paid, that would be effectively trapping people.
I love the idea, I just think it’d be hard to get people to respect the box and not try and dodge the payment system.
November 14th, 2009 at 9:15 pm
Interesting and Utopian concept indeed – however, yes, it does have the major propensity to be ill used in 99% of the areas stated.
One idea that could be implemented to curb people merely using it as a sex and/or drugs cubicle, however, would be to only allow one person per box @ a time (controlled with weight and motion sensors) as well as chemical and smoke detectors etc.
Just a thought
November 14th, 2009 at 9:35 pm
along with the previous statement by Ash, i feel as though some people, especially in the us would be too claustrophobic for this…great idea though
November 14th, 2009 at 11:22 pm
Too claustrophobic, impossible to keep clean, prone to vandalism, expensive to maintain to the point of being prohibitive to point-of-sale customers who could much more affordably book a hostel or hotel room, would not be functional much of the year without heating in most train stations, outdoor bus and trainyard depots, etc. (especially in Northern Europe)
Don’t forget annoying teenagers that will run along beating on the sides of them with books, bags, and fists to annoy the people inside. Sleeping in a box in public doesn’t work very well, and is never comfortable. Just ask the homeless.
November 15th, 2009 at 1:07 am
Excellent idea. Long overdue in the Western world.
I’m surprised by all the judgmental and negative people who are so terribly worried about others having sex. Perish the thought! Everything in life gets dirty and requires constant maintenance; luckily we’ve found a way to deal, clean, and sterilize.
When my family travels, we often have to catnap right out in the open—this is clearly superior. Bravo!
November 15th, 2009 at 12:56 pm
If the box is rock’n don’t come knock’n…
Excellent idea, I could have used this in a few airports. Unfortunately I didn’t have anyone to ‘knock’ it with…. wink wink nudge nudge
November 15th, 2009 at 1:01 pm
these will be covered in graffiti instantly in any kind of urban environment
November 16th, 2009 at 8:21 am
Love this concept, would absolutely love to see one at my university(!)… though unfortunately like most good ideas the only variable you can’t control is people and how they’ll abuse it..
slightly different concept but still a way of getting a nap during the day is http://www.metronaps.com/ – they manufacture sleep pods aimed at busy offices, but there are also several locations where any member of the public can book in for a nap during their day. There’s one in MBF on George St, Sydney, and I believe they’re also in London, NY and possibly elsewhere… google metronaps to find your closest one I guess. I am dying to try one
November 16th, 2009 at 9:07 am
It’s a great solution for tired people. I like the idea.
November 16th, 2009 at 9:29 am
I think it’s brilliant in an airport after passing the security check point!
November 16th, 2009 at 9:39 am
Brilliant – such a simple but creative idea – looking at the number of comments above, it would be very popular! love it!
November 16th, 2009 at 10:56 am
As a design artist… I hate the design, love the concept. Yes, you can add a bunch of monitors and sensors and CCTV’s and credit card machines to try to deter things that will always find a loophole in society. The end result will be that these things will be so expensive no airport or train station will afford them. (Unless they are over endorsed by every ad company in the universe. It already looks like a mac)
Go with the simplicity of things. to deter the wild sex, drugs and bums of the world, create an human and camera monitored area with one entrance/exit. To check into a sleeper box, you must check in and pay for time at the counter with a human being who will escort you to a box (hey look! more jobs for economy!) No one trusts a machine that could possibly with one glitch make this sleeper box into a locked coffin, let alone clean up after the previous person. The number one reason why someone would skip this and go broke for a hotel: other human beings are monitoring it and assure your comfort. One person should be able to monitor about 25-30 boxes at a time. Each box will be obviously plugged in somewhere, so it would make sense to set up a co-existent system that links to the front desk. This would monitor things like alarm clocks, lights, door opening/closing, smoke detector and emergency radio (more advanced pool halls have a similar system to shut off the lights once their time is up)
Now for the vandalism, simple fix: Already have it covered in graffiti. The company should look to local art colleges to submit designs to be “Skinned” around and inside the box for privacy and aesthetics. Have a theme of the town/city/country that they will be located, dreamscapes, or even scenes that inspire comfort and relaxation (this gives the artist credit and possible endorsement to the college that is submitting.) This will also help brighten up box so it doesn’t feel so machine.
And finally, for the hygiene issue. Again, back to having a person monitoring and watching each box, just as they checked them in, have them check them out. Just like a hotel, the cleaning crew comes in right after, sprays disinfectant, changes the sheets, takes the old ones to the laundry room (which almost all airports have) and makes sure that everything is as it should be.
Now back to the affordable problem, you may think that hiring someone to monitor these would be about the same cost… however, think… how many of you would change your minds and feel comfortable in one of these with the changes that I listed? This would make more profit over product cost.
November 18th, 2009 at 12:46 pm
Regarding all the comments about sex and drugs, it’s not much different than public restrooms that are many places supervised by a person. These boxes might have to be supervised as well. Maybe by inside cameras monitered from a central? If you break whatever rules they set, you get a fine. And if the user has to has to put their credit card into the thing to get in, and don’t get it back till they get out, the fine can be charged immediately. Then any user would respect the box. I could have used one at Dubai Airport!
November 18th, 2009 at 3:17 pm
I like the idea. It reminds me of other good ideas that people didn’t think would work but they turned out fine. Like Zipcars or public toilet pods. I think you would need an attendant, people here in the States wouldn’t always clean up after themselves. I would use one, I can stay up all day and night if I can get a good nap in.
November 18th, 2009 at 3:32 pm
One word: Sex.
Wouldn’t this be a breeding ground (no pun intended) but a hot bed (not pun intended) of night time activity?
November 18th, 2009 at 5:17 pm
ALL HAIL HEROIN BOX
November 18th, 2009 at 5:24 pm
This would be so dirty. After a day even, with maybe 10 uses, it would be filled with germs and drool and bacteria. It’s a closed box so stuff stays in. People could jerk it in this nasty contraption. I say suck it up if you are tired and maybe go to bed early. Why the fuck does stuff like this get invented? Go home and nap. Looks really cool but so so useless.
November 18th, 2009 at 5:58 pm
People will use these sleep boxes for sexual encounters and taking drugs. Perhaps, as someone else said, it may work in northern Europe but can you imagine these in a city like New York? Scary.
November 19th, 2009 at 3:42 am
@Mike – You really should try to read the description before posting your comments. First of all, it is clearly stated that the Sleepbox is intended for when one cannot simply go home due to being in a foreign country or having too little time to go home. Secondly, the automatically changing sheets and the quartz lamps are described to take care of the germs and bacteria. Though physical litter would still need to be picked up.
November 19th, 2009 at 8:00 am
But seriously, is it really so bad to just crash over a few seats when you’re so tired that it really doesn’t matter if you’re in the middle of a busy gate? Maybe for those deranged types who have business meetings across continents daily… as long as the jet fuel and prepackaged meals keep you tucked in and wholly law abiding…
November 20th, 2009 at 9:20 am
What if somebody pees to bed?
November 20th, 2009 at 5:47 pm
All the surfaces could be plastic or metal except for the bed. The bed could have its own little capsule that can cover it up while a disinfectant can be sprayed. The outlets could also be covered by some type of automatic flap also.
I think it would be good for airports because there are times when you just have to wait forever for your next flight.
November 22nd, 2009 at 11:41 am
anyone who has ever had to deal with a long unexpected delay in a public place will appreciate the genius of this
November 22nd, 2009 at 12:26 pm
The only question is: how much?
Anyway i believe it must be done.
November 22nd, 2009 at 6:00 pm
Tint the windows
November 23rd, 2009 at 6:49 am
i wanna hot-box one.
November 23rd, 2009 at 8:55 pm
I think this would be great in Airports and in Train Stations, but not very practical on the streets. Who gets tired walking from point A to point B enough to require a nap? If the design is tweaked for privacy issues, and if it’s made not to look like an XBOX 360/MAC crossover, these could be great if monitored to deter sex and criminal behavior.
November 24th, 2009 at 1:56 am
Great! I’d imagine some dude would masturbate in there. I guess I would. LOL!
November 24th, 2009 at 4:03 am
no fatties allowed
November 24th, 2009 at 7:27 am
This would be great for airports, for when you have a few hours between flights.
November 25th, 2009 at 5:06 am
Neato! This is a great idea. It makes me want to fart inside and marinate in my own poo juices. This is also great for people with overactive bladder syndrome. Wetting the bed has never been sweeter.
December 31st, 2009 at 4:52 pm
darn it – i had this idea years ago but didn’t do anything about it. looks fantastic! i would pay good money to have this in an airport!
and to the comment below about “young lovers or something worse” – though your concern is probably realistic, it must be nice to assume the worst in people.
January 1st, 2010 at 1:14 am
so often have i yearned for such a space! they could be sensitive to sound and open up as appropriate to prevent misuse.
January 11th, 2010 at 1:53 pm
Great design, but not practicall or funcional in my oppinion. There is no bathroom and shower. They seemed to be way to tight for space.
I saw a similar concept dreamandfly it seems more complete in terms of comfort and services.
January 14th, 2010 at 3:07 pm
it’s a good idea if u are with a girl on trip
.
January 17th, 2010 at 3:50 pm
To: Nik and MaliceDesigns,
excellent and constructive criticism that actually helps! i’m in full agreement with everyone that had something positive to say about this effort from this group. i believe in the concept and would make full use of it; admittedly more for recreational activities than sleeping of course: that’s what we keep the bed at home for.
to those who made alot of bruhaha about people partaking in some recreation in these booths, as well as the lack of additional services such as bathrooms etc; if you want a hotel/motel then go to one; that’s not why this product was invented. as is typically said in the marketing world; if it doesn’t talk to you then it wasn’t made for you.
finally: arch group, this design and concept is the shit. just please make it look a bit more comfortable; perhaps take some queues from the guys at metronap? onboard entertainment and sleep assistance programs to go along with the screen in the room. maybe also some visual aids to make the box look a bit more spacious (mirrors and the like). also i believe an environmental control system that can increase/decrease heat and ensure sufficient ventilation (though likely expensive, maybe look at what the car manufacturers are using in their cars) would also come in handy.
will send you guys a mail aimed at assisting to get this thing going
January 24th, 2010 at 7:27 pm
They should cater these for the homeless, then they really would be a great idea.