I do not know if the third millennium will be mystical, but I do know that it will be Human. This is a certainty. With Jean-Claude Decaux we are working towards this in our everyday lives - in the city, in the street.

JCDecaux has created the right combination of appropriate design, economic viability and a high level of maintenance that is essential if street furniture is to be successful. We have found that JCDecaux, more than any other company, understands the realities of designing, manufacturing and installing equipment. It was therefore with great pleasure and respect that we accepted the invitation of JCDecaux to design for them. The work we have undertaken for JCDecaux has extended our design awareness into new areas and working methods, and the experience gained continues to enrich many other areas of our work.

To design something new - a large architectural structure, a piece of furniture or a small object - has always been a rewarding experience for me, a rare privilege which should not be taken lightly. It requires a very detailed line of research which must be carried out with the very best associates. Design new street furniture? ... only with the number one, with JCDecaux. Just imagine what it is to design a little of the mechanics, a part of the street furniture which contributes to the architecture of the "Eternal City". Looking at the technical and functional aspects in a disciplined way, which is easy to do with JCDecaux, we focused all our attention on the City (Rome and all the other cities), and designed street furniture, which is minimalist and easily identifiable. This furniture in no way strives to compete with the monuments of this historical city but, on the contrary, endeavors to blend with and enhance even the simplest landscapes of the outskirts of the newly built cities.

In 1997 JCDecaux sought the assistance of local architects in preparing their bid to design a series of street furniture for the Sydney Council and a number of councils from the Sydney region. Philip Cox was delighted to be part of this team and traveled to Paris to meet representatives of JCDecaux and to investigate street furniture design in France and England. The high standard of the JCDecaux-designed street furniture confirmed Philip Cox's admiration for the company and his enthusiasm for the Sydney City project. That the bid was ultimately successful was due in no small measure to JCDecaux's understanding of the need to incorporate into the design, the essential qualities of life in Sydney, its openness, light and spontaneity. The project continues with a completion date in the year 2000.

Working with JCDecaux has been an exciting experience. It has allowed me to discover a company with a unique approach to matters concerning the environment. JCDecaux attaches great importance to the quality of design, which it fully adapts to the character of each city, and also to its scrupulous street furniture maintenance program. Public design is all too often an inharmonious piecing together of cheap solutions. One hopes that first-class companies such as JCDecaux will elevate our work to enjoy a wider public recognition and regard. In Denmark, where the urban landscape is of great importance, I wanted a line of furniture which was discreet and suited to the lifestyle but at the same time original and imposing. In doing so, I believe I have managed to capture the essence of the distinctive Nordic style.

Street furniture is regarded by all of its users as belonging to them, both in a visual and a true sense; and thus my focus has, above all, been cultural. My work for JCDecaux was an overview of what had been realised within the company since the 60's. It was not a question of making a new, more cleverly designed range, but of finding a new method of application, the true roots of street furniture - from the world of plants to all kinds of arborescent forms; from those painted by Guimard to those photographed by Blossfeldt; or from working along vertical lines as in the "Unending Kiosk" by Brancusi to those of gothic cathedrals. To stir the memories of those for whom the projects are intended is in itself a way of reaching them. In this sense, design takes on a new meaning; it is a gesture to others.

Whereas citizens, like local councillors, have always been aware of the uses of street furniture, they have today become appreciative of its attractive design, its comfort, and the role it can adopt. It is a way of giving a city its identity and of improving daily life. JCDecaux has fully understood this, combining aesthetically pleasing designs with excellent services. One must also think in terms of permanency. With regard to design, every stroke of the pencil is important. If the result is a success, a piece of street furniture can become a sign of an era. It is in this very spirit that we realised together the new furniture for the Champs-Elysees, the tramway stations of Rouen, Strasbourg and Cologne.