The remaining wooden seating planks salvaged from the former National Stadium will be turned into benches and the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) is seeking design ideas for them from the public.

The URA yesterday launched a public competition called Re:Bench for designers aged 35 and under to send in ideas for the benches that will be featured in public spaces around Singapore.

Some 2,000 seating planks from the former National Stadium are left. It is estimated that 40 more benches can be produced from these planks.

The competition is the second edition of a 2012 one called Bench, in which 30 designs were selected and commissioned. Those designs have been transformed into 93 benches situated in 23 public spaces.

They include one called Kallang Wave because of its undulating curves, which can be found at Punggol Promenade and in the Istana. Another spells out "dream" in block letters, and sits at a pedestrian mall in Jurong called J Link.

Mr Lim Eng Hwee, URA's chief planner, said: "Through the bench project, we see good design tangibly expressed in beautiful and useful ways.

"The benches not only commemorate the former National Stadium, but have also injected vibrancy to the public spaces they are in."

Mr Lim, who will become the authority's chief executive next month, said he wanted to bring this buzz to other areas using the remaining planks.

Designs for Re:Bench must be submitted by Nov 30. Winning designs will each be awarded a $1,000 cash prize. The designs will then be fabricated and placed in various public spaces. More details on the competition can be found at www.ourfaveplace.sg/ReBench

Kok Xing Hui