manspreading chair
© Laila LaurelLaila Laurel designed his and hers chairs to show the way men and women "command space."
Take a pew, sitting down just got woke! A British student has snagged a nifty design award for creating an anti-manspreading chair.

Fed up with men who luxuriate in their seating, University of Brighton student Laila Laurel, 23, fashioned a pair of his and hers chairs that challenge the way men and women "command space."

"I was also hugely inspired by Laura Bates' Everyday Sexism Project, where I read about the struggles and frustrations of women around the world pertaining to men infringing on their space," Laurel tells Metro.

Reminiscent of medieval torture devices translated through mid-century style, the sycamore and cherry wood chairs encourage women to spread eagle, while forcing men to knock their knees together.

"In order to achieve gender equality it is imperative to consider many different aspects of sexism," says Laurel, "and so that is why I thought it would be interesting to try to explore political gendered issues around seating."

For her manhood-crushing efforts, Laurel was awarded the Belmond Award at New Designs in London.
manspreading chair
© Laila Laurel
"I think encouraging women to consider the way in which they move through the world, or the space they take up in relation to men, is powerful because it is such an intrinsic and huge issue, and yet one that perhaps is not always considered," she womansplains.

Naturally, her thought-provoking furniture has attracted online haters. But Laurel says they have nothing to fear.

"I have received a lot of explicit messages — nearly entirely from men — who seem to be under the impression I am trying to castrate them and that I hate all men — which couldn't be further from the truth," Laurel says.

So breathe easy New Yorkers, the MTA isn't implementing anti-manspreading devices on the subway — yet.