One of the busiest London intersections received a subtle but significant change late last year: the addition of three benches. Made of solid white granite mined from UK quarries, their smooth surfaces and column-like feet are inspired by the grand neoclassical architecture of the nearby buildings.

They’re positioned on a recently widened walkway at Bank junction, a chaotic meeting of nine streets in the shadows of the Bank of England, the former London Stock Exchange and Mansion House, the home and office of the Lord Mayor. Here, tens of thousands exit the Tube and walk past them every morning on their way to work in the city’s traditional financial district. And the area’s governing body, the City of London Corporation, hopes that some workers might actually take a seat, with cars banned from the intersection for 12 hours of each weekday.