Current Seating
Before I start to develop and generate some initial ideas for the church seats, I feel that it is important for me to conduct some research into the current examples of seating in churches. This will enable me to identify whether or not there are any similarities with these different examples of seating and hopefully it will facilitate my initial designs and progression throughout this project.
St Bartholomew's Church Brighton
I visited St Bartholomew's Church in Brighton and discovered that there were two types of chairs that they used for seating the congregation.
This first example is just a foldable chair very similar to the Plia Chair designed in 1969 in Italy by Giam Carlo Piretti.
Critically speaking I would say that this is not a very attractive or the best type of chair that could be used for seating in a church. I feel that it doesn't really fit in well with the other styles of the churches interior and also looks quite boring as a design.
What works well is that it completes its purpose, it is relatively comfortable and sturdy which is obviously important. Additionally, the colour of the chair compliments the churches interior and at the bottom of each leg has a rubber piece to protect the churches floor. The materials that have been used to create this chair suggest that it does not really require regular maintenance, the plastic is easy to clean and hard to break but also on the legs of the chair a plastic finish has been applied to it. If paint was used it could perhaps flake or become faded over time. Some thing to consider at a later date.
Most importantly in regards to the brief itself the way this chair functions would be just right for the church of England, it can easily be folded and stored away without any issues because of it lightness in weight. I did find that this chair was really easy to fold but at the same time, in some respects, I feel that plastic as a material just does not look right in a church with so much history and character. These chairs have definitely been produced in a high volume which is good for the church as it enables them to gain access to the product if they need more.
This first example is just a foldable chair very similar to the Plia Chair designed in 1969 in Italy by Giam Carlo Piretti.
Critically speaking I would say that this is not a very attractive or the best type of chair that could be used for seating in a church. I feel that it doesn't really fit in well with the other styles of the churches interior and also looks quite boring as a design.
What works well is that it completes its purpose, it is relatively comfortable and sturdy which is obviously important. Additionally, the colour of the chair compliments the churches interior and at the bottom of each leg has a rubber piece to protect the churches floor. The materials that have been used to create this chair suggest that it does not really require regular maintenance, the plastic is easy to clean and hard to break but also on the legs of the chair a plastic finish has been applied to it. If paint was used it could perhaps flake or become faded over time. Some thing to consider at a later date.
Most importantly in regards to the brief itself the way this chair functions would be just right for the church of England, it can easily be folded and stored away without any issues because of it lightness in weight. I did find that this chair was really easy to fold but at the same time, in some respects, I feel that plastic as a material just does not look right in a church with so much history and character. These chairs have definitely been produced in a high volume which is good for the church as it enables them to gain access to the product if they need more.
This is the second type of chair that they have in St Bartholomew's Church.
Out of the two examples I think that this chair's design is so much better aesthetically. In my opinion, I would say that the darker wood really compliments the rest of the churches interior and the overall generic colour schemes.The materials itself is not only very traditional historically but it also meets the specifications of this brief by being light in weight The chair also was comfortable which means ergonomically it is meeting the needs of the congregation however, some of the chairs were a little unstable perhaps because they were in constant use. This is a important factor to consider, these chairs will be used a fair amount for not only services but perhaps other church activities and because of that they must be strong and be able to stand frequent use. There is mention of this in the specifications.
The downside about this chair is that it does not fold away like the other example. The brief does state that ideally they would like the chairs to be easily foldable and stored to make way for other activities. Although you can find a way to stack this particular chair, there could be a better way. This product as well would most likely be mass produced in high volume meaning that it is very accessible as a product for the churches to reorder. It also looks as if it does not really require regular maintenance another plus factor, varnish has been applied to the chair for the finish so ultimately obviously it is depending on various pointers but it would not need another finish for maintenance.
Factors to consider for finishing.
This are aspects that I will have to consider at a later date because part of the specifications does mention the maintenance of the chair.
Out of the two examples I think that this chair's design is so much better aesthetically. In my opinion, I would say that the darker wood really compliments the rest of the churches interior and the overall generic colour schemes.The materials itself is not only very traditional historically but it also meets the specifications of this brief by being light in weight The chair also was comfortable which means ergonomically it is meeting the needs of the congregation however, some of the chairs were a little unstable perhaps because they were in constant use. This is a important factor to consider, these chairs will be used a fair amount for not only services but perhaps other church activities and because of that they must be strong and be able to stand frequent use. There is mention of this in the specifications.
The downside about this chair is that it does not fold away like the other example. The brief does state that ideally they would like the chairs to be easily foldable and stored to make way for other activities. Although you can find a way to stack this particular chair, there could be a better way. This product as well would most likely be mass produced in high volume meaning that it is very accessible as a product for the churches to reorder. It also looks as if it does not really require regular maintenance another plus factor, varnish has been applied to the chair for the finish so ultimately obviously it is depending on various pointers but it would not need another finish for maintenance.
Factors to consider for finishing.
- Indoor or out door use?
- The more coats of varnish applied the longer it will last
- Type of use of the chair will be dependent on whether it will require a finish
- Ideally it would be an indefinite finish however 6years maximum if frequently used?
This are aspects that I will have to consider at a later date because part of the specifications does mention the maintenance of the chair.
This is just a picture that I have taken displaying all of the seats in the church. I am unclear as to why they have decided to put the plastic seats at the front and leave the wooden chairs further back.
Perhaps this suggests that the plastic chairs are more sturdy and get more use? Because at the end of the day this is such a huge space it is very unlikely that they are going to fill all of the seats up. Or it could be for aesthetically reasons - when the congregation walks in the first thing they see is the wooden chairs. Which then would suggest that wooden chairs are preferred but plastic chairs are cheaper?
Pews
Other examples of seating that you tend to see in churches are pews and these are generally made of wood and arranged in rows facing the altar in the nave of the church. Some pews have cushions and foot rests but more traditional churches do not, many also have room to fit a bible, prayer books, hymnals or other church literature.
Even though the brief mainly focuses on designing a chair rather than a pew itself for the church, I have decided to also research examples of church pews. I know that these examples will help me to distinguish the common conventions of these seats, I am mainly looking and analysing the overall design features and the types of materials used. Furthermore, I know that these factors could influence and shape my initial ideas at a later stage.
All of these images were sourced from the internet refer to bibliography.
Taking all of these pictures into account every one of these pews have been made using wood. Most of the wood is dark and each pew has been finished very nicely- it looks like they have either been waxed, polished and also varnished. Regardless of the finish I feel that the majority of the pews would fit in well with the surroundings of a church.. There are three examples that have used upholstery two which give a option to remove the cushion but one (second picture of slideshow) has been made with the cushions attached. I feel that this would be more appropriate in modern churches so when designing my chair if I do consider using cushions for extra comfort I think that it is important to leave the option to remove it.
Some of the pews have used carvings to decorate the end of the pews and I think that this is a really nice touch in terms of the designs it requires a lot of skill which in turn costs more money so does that mean they are affordable for the churches budget?. Also these are quite big items and the pews are very detailed are they batch produced? I think that it is important to bare in mind that although the chairs are there to seat the congregation they are in a religious place of worship and therefore a nice touch would be to incorporate religious elements within the designs.
Although the main focus of this research was looking at the pews, just looking at the aesthetics of the seats I can see that churches seem to use very powerful, deep and dark colours. Blues, reds, and greens, all of which look really nice against the wood. But wood can be heavy and the idea here is that it can be easily moved around and folded away. The pews are not really meeting the specifications as much as a single chair would.
I know I should not be focusing on the materials of my design at the moment of time because it is early stages of my research but I do like the idea of using wood because it does seem that it more traditional and aesthetically it fits in well with the church interiors.
Taking all of these pictures into account every one of these pews have been made using wood. Most of the wood is dark and each pew has been finished very nicely- it looks like they have either been waxed, polished and also varnished. Regardless of the finish I feel that the majority of the pews would fit in well with the surroundings of a church.. There are three examples that have used upholstery two which give a option to remove the cushion but one (second picture of slideshow) has been made with the cushions attached. I feel that this would be more appropriate in modern churches so when designing my chair if I do consider using cushions for extra comfort I think that it is important to leave the option to remove it.
Some of the pews have used carvings to decorate the end of the pews and I think that this is a really nice touch in terms of the designs it requires a lot of skill which in turn costs more money so does that mean they are affordable for the churches budget?. Also these are quite big items and the pews are very detailed are they batch produced? I think that it is important to bare in mind that although the chairs are there to seat the congregation they are in a religious place of worship and therefore a nice touch would be to incorporate religious elements within the designs.
Although the main focus of this research was looking at the pews, just looking at the aesthetics of the seats I can see that churches seem to use very powerful, deep and dark colours. Blues, reds, and greens, all of which look really nice against the wood. But wood can be heavy and the idea here is that it can be easily moved around and folded away. The pews are not really meeting the specifications as much as a single chair would.
I know I should not be focusing on the materials of my design at the moment of time because it is early stages of my research but I do like the idea of using wood because it does seem that it more traditional and aesthetically it fits in well with the church interiors.
Modern churches
As part of my research I have also decided to look at some examples of modern churches and the seating that they have used in the bid to help my development.
Ebenezer Reformed Baptist Church
This is an example of a modern church in Brighton. Just looking at the picture the interior of the building does not really indicate that it is a a place of worship.
The chairs I would say aesthetically are quite boring and look a bit cheap. But comfort wise they are really appropriate. I suppose in this type of church to have old fashioned types of pews or seating would make it stand out however, a nice touch would have been at least to incorporate some religious element within the chairs design.
This is a factor that I want to consider within my designs.
The chairs I would say aesthetically are quite boring and look a bit cheap. But comfort wise they are really appropriate. I suppose in this type of church to have old fashioned types of pews or seating would make it stand out however, a nice touch would have been at least to incorporate some religious element within the chairs design.
This is a factor that I want to consider within my designs.
The material that has been used for this chair is wood. Attached to the chair is a foam cushion on the seat which adds more comfort. The only thing that is different to this chair from another chair is the fact that there is a space people the seat to place a bible or a prayer book. Although not essential it is a element that can be considered.
These chairs were very light in weight which means they can be put away easily and they also felt sturdy when sitting on them. My only concern here is the upholstery, not only does it interfere with acoustics in a church but it can also require further maintenance, rips can occur or stains from drinks (especially if the chair is used for another activity other than a service).
These chairs also were stackable but not by many, it was not very easy to stack either, so this is a really vital aspect of the design that I need to think about.
This is another example of a modern church however this church seems to have tried to use the more traditional concept of using pews to seat their congregation.
Just like the majority of pews this design is made from wood and relies on upholstery to add comfort. The finish looks very nice as well and compliments the other colour schemes of the church. For indoor seats varnish is quite a good finish but it does depend on the amount of use the chair gets. With these chairs they do not move so they will not be suitable for this design brief. However, it is useful to look at examples of churches that make the attempts to maintain historical values with practicality.
Just like the majority of pews this design is made from wood and relies on upholstery to add comfort. The finish looks very nice as well and compliments the other colour schemes of the church. For indoor seats varnish is quite a good finish but it does depend on the amount of use the chair gets. With these chairs they do not move so they will not be suitable for this design brief. However, it is useful to look at examples of churches that make the attempts to maintain historical values with practicality.
Although these pews are fixed to the floor for some reason the seat seems to lift up.
Most importantly what I have noticed is that they have used upholstery for extra comfort. The blue looks quite nice against the wood as well so again the same types colours seem to crop up.
Do my designs really need upholstery though? I do not think it is something I need to explore if it is not necessary required. A chair can be ergonomically made if shaped and manufactured well- perhaps this is something that will obviously require further research at a later date.
Most importantly what I have noticed is that they have used upholstery for extra comfort. The blue looks quite nice against the wood as well so again the same types colours seem to crop up.
Do my designs really need upholstery though? I do not think it is something I need to explore if it is not necessary required. A chair can be ergonomically made if shaped and manufactured well- perhaps this is something that will obviously require further research at a later date.
With this modern church they have used the most traditional style of seating. The pews are again made out of wood and because of this it looks more like a church environment. They have used upholstery for extra comfort and greens to compliment the wood. There is also space for someone to put their bible and other materials if required. The only problem with this in regards to the brief set - These pews are not stack able or fold able, they are also very heavy to move around.
This chair is made out of plastic and the shape of it looks very modern and interesting. The colour white is quite a special colour for the church of England and it symbolises purity, holiness, virtue and the Holy Spirit so it also considers this in the design. The cross is also very symbolic within Christianity
and it gives it a nice touch. However, with the more traditional churches it seems as if it would not necessary fit in as well in terms of the interiors. What has been interesting though is to look at the way's in which a chair has used a modern kind of style but considered the religious aspects of its users.
Analysis of Research
Just by having a look at different examples of both traditional and modern examples of church seating it has helped me to grasp a better understanding as to how I may design my chair. It seems apparent that wood is a really important material to consider when designing the chair, however some wood can be quite heavy so its being able to meet that balance of being practical but also looking good and complimentary within the church. I think that this will be a good source to reflect upon when I come down to designing my chair. It has also been clear that the need to upholstery is not essential, it is something to consider but the right ergonomics can support comfort without interfering with acoustics and styles of the church. My next step is really to have a look at fold able furniture and see how they work and how these functions can be incorporated within my own designs because the chair must be able to fold and stack in some sort of way.
Finally, finishes are also quite important but obviously going to depend on the material that you are using and also the type of use for example - indoor and outdoor and the amount of use. The best finish will determine the amount of maintenance it will need and in the specifications it does make preference that the chairs are low maintenance.