Image courtesy of Howe.
Philadelphia Episcopal Cathdral; Howe 40/4 chair designed by David Rowland.
Technology is every-changing, but does that make you think of seating? Probably not, but perhaps it should. Even seating has a science and technology aspect to it.
Here are a few thoughts about changes in technology, materials and functionality related to seating. Sources included interior designer Lisa Masteller, owner of Sassafras Studios in Raleigh, N.C., seating manufacturer Howe of Denmark with U.S. distribution, and Series Seating in Miami.
1-Removable seating is functionally stackable.
Thinner materials and better design enable chairs to be stacked on one rolling platform. An example is Howe's 40/4 chair that appears in St. Paul’s Cathedral, London, U.K., and in many historic and modern churches around the world. The 40/4 allows for stacking 40 chairs in just four feet. Since its launch in 1964, the multifunctional, clean-lined and durable 40/4 has never been out of production.
Howe's 40/4 is available in plastic resin, veneer, metal or with upholstery. Linking versions: Brace, fin, hook/eye.
2-Stackable seating is now available in theater-style seats.
The Series Seating K-Chair features a gravity-return lifting seat, providing the access ease of fixed theater seating with the convenience of removable, stackable seating -- up to 24 high on a rolling rack, the company reports.
Image courtesy of Series Seating.
Series Seating's K-chair features a gravity-return lifting seat.
3-Tilting pew seats.
For traditional spaces where contemporary seating isn’t desired, there are options. Some of those include an elegant theater seat installed within a traditional pew-style enclosure. This brings the space efficiency and ease of access of a tilt-up theater seat to a traditional church setting without the style clash.
Image courtesy of Church Interiors Inc.
Church Interiors offers fixed audience theatre seating.
4-Seating deserves fair consideration in the project budget.
You get what you pay for, so designers must encourage their church clients to think about how soon they will want to have to replace their seating before they sign up for the lowest-cost option. And while residential seating options for areas like atriums may seem like a good way to save money, they aren’t designed to hold up to the heavy use the seating can receive.
Fabrics used in residential seating often have a double-rub (one cycle of sitting down and getting up) rating of 3,000-5,000. Commercial-grade upholstery, on the other hand, is rated for more like 100,000 to 200,000 double-rubs.
