SEATING
Quinette Gallay’s Star theatre seat was
selected; its crisp European styling deemed to
blend perfectly with the bold angles and curves
of the auditorium’s interior. The subtle contours
of the seat backs mirror the sweep of the balcony;
the uncompromising angles of the end panels
echo the geometric wall panels.
The colour palette was chosen to ensure
the seats look immediately at home, giving a
nod to the past. However, with vibrant fabric,
a compound curved backrest and a thick,
comfortable seat, the hall’s patrons can be in
no doubt that their seats are 100% new.
The Kotobuki Seating group emphasises
that each of its four companies has its own
strengths, but all are experts in designing and
delivering seating installations for diverse
performance spaces, across the globe. n
www.audiencesystems.com; www.fercoseating.com;
www.kotobuki-seating.co.jp/en; www.quinette.fr/en
constructed Shattuck St Mary’s School in Forest
City, Malaysia, where the brief was to provide
a comfortable and modern seating solution for
an 800-seat auditorium.
All the academic, residential and commercial
properties in Forest City are adorned with
vertical greeneries – rooftop gardens that form
a natural barrier against heat, reduce energy
consumption, naturally purify air, conserve
rainwater and reduce noise. To complement this
unique and forward-thinking environment, the
designers chose Ferco’s Beaufort seat.
The Beaufort model is designed to have clean
lines and simple elegance, making it particularly
suitable for a stylish, contemporary space. Ferco
says the addition of ProBax was a major factor in
winning the project against tough competition.
ProBax is a foam-based seating technology
designed to encourage patrons to instinctively
maintain the ideal posture whilst seated.
This project took advantage of the Beaufort’s
customisable features and paired sleek beech
armrests with an eye-catching red fabric to
complement the interior’s acoustic panelling
and majestic ceiling design.
A modern auditorium in Japan
Another Kotobuki group company, Quinette
Gallay, recently designed an elegant seating
solution for Obihiro Citizens Cultural Hall in
Hokkaido, Japan. Belying its uncompromising
exterior, the interior is light and beautifully
functional, with clean lines. The auditorium is
renowned for its acoustic qualities and was listed
amongst the top 100 performance halls for sound
by the Japanese Theatre Technicians’ Federation.
As well as numerous other events, the hall
plays host to an annual concert for employees
of a local manufacturer, Rokkatei. It was
that company’s chairman who financed the
replacement of the original seats.
Top left: The Forum Theatre
in Billingham, UK
Top right and above: The
auditorium at the new
Shattuck St Mary’s School
in Forest City, Malaysia
Below: The interior of Obihiro
Citizens Cultural Hall in
Hokkaido, Japan
AUDITORIA 2020 VOLUME ONE 61