Image courtesy of HOWE.
HOWE's 40/4 chair by designer David Rowland graces St. Paul's Cathedral, UK.
In places of worship that have been standing for decades – or even centuries – original seating can become costly to maintain and can hinder a church’s ability to flex around modern congregations and their emerging needs. If this is the case for your architectural build or existing church, it’s worth considering fixed pew replacement options.
But before researching new sanctuary seating, there are some needs to consider, which our experience in this area and our conversations with our church customers have made us aware of over the years – all of which we’ve found are met by our 40/4 chair by David Rowland.
1-Design
When your client’s or congregation’s home is an older setting, it can be hard to imagine how its interior will look with seating from a different period. This is when, in terms of design, less is more.
Clean, simple, unfussy chairs designed for comfort meet this brief. They need to not detract from beautiful carvings, ornate stained glass or period flagstone floors, yet neither should they attempt to "blend in" with them – imitation period seating can look contrived and even unsightly.
The ergonomic factor of the chair’s design is also important, because congregations will typically be seated for services of one to two hours. See more in point 5, below.
2-Flexibility
Today’s churches aren’t just places of worship – they host other gatherings, too. And if they’re not, there’s a strong case for factoring this in.
Yoga classes, concerts, exhibitions, support gatherings and play groups are just some of the myriad ways a religious building can retain its status as a centre for the community, while being extra revenue streams for its running.
But these differing needs require flexible seating – seating that can be added, taken away and rearranged, easily. The 40/4 can link or stand alone, and is simple to move on a specially designed dolly that wheels up to 40 chairs piled to up to four feet.
Image courtesy of HOWE.
HOWE's stackable 40/4 chair by David Rowland, linked together.
3-Strength – and Sustainability
Whether hosting congregations for worship or audiences coming to be entertained, your seating is going to be pushed, pulled, linked, unlinked and stacked – a lot.
... your seating is going to be pushed, pulled, linked, unlinked and stacked – a lot. It needs to be designed well....
It needs to be designed well, and to have a proven track record in being so, not only so that it stands up to these demands, but also because cheap, flimsy furniture is a false economy. If it needs to be replaced often, the costs soon add up – both to your church’s funds and to the planet.
4-Timelessness
A church is a humble place that welcomes everyone. A place for the community, it’s simply about coming together and being together.
Fancy or trend-lead seating doesn’t suit this setting or its reason for being, and with church budgets usually requiring close care, there’s a strong case for chairs that won’t require replacement for reasons as superfluous as looking dated or falling out of style.
5-Comfort
This is seating that’s going to be sat on for lengthy periods, whether by church congregations or during adult education classes. In order not to detract attention from contemplation or concentration, comfort is key.
Ergonomics is the most important aspect to consider in this area – the way the body sits in a relaxed state must be thought through and catered to....
Ergonomics is the most important aspect to consider in this area – the way the body sits in a relaxed state must be thought through and catered to, so that it’s supported, yet not held in a rigid state that feels unnatural.
Learn more at: www.howe.com/us/solution-pages/worship?solution_type=sectors
