Theatres, Auditoria and Studios

Below you'll find some examples of our work in all kinds of auditoria. If you'd like to look at our theatre chairs, please click here, or for retractable seating, click here.

Why do we love theatre projects? Because our clients in the arts allow us to create some of our most striking installations. But of course there are a multitude of practical issues to consider too including flexibility, sightlines and acoustics.

Flexible Arrangements

Retractable, removable, fixed and stacking seats; multipurpose chairs, auditorium chairs and benches – all these are the ingredients we can use to make a space as flexible as you wish. We can customise our seating for buildings small or large, modern or historic.

• The seating seems inseparable from the auditorium but then at once disappears to make room for dinners or receptions. 

  An Lanntair Arts Centre, Stornaway, UK

• Even on a retractable system, the seats can be as luxurious as you wish. These “Recital” seats at the Flavel Centre make no compromises in terms of appearance and comfort (below left).
• A well-finished but simple retractable system, complete with matching Espace 628CC fixed chairs on the balcony retains this venue’s cosy feel (below right).

 The Flavel Centre, Dartmouth, UK; The Market Theatre, Wyeside Arts Centre, UK

• Retractable seating can lend flexibility to the smallest and most surprising spaces – here aboard TUI Cruise Ships’ fabulously appointed “Mein Schiff 4”, where Recital chairs give the venue a classic feel.

 Mein Schiff 4, TUI Cruise Ships

• Historic buildings can be flexible too. In the confines of the low ceiling height of Bolton’s Albert Halls, maximum capacity is achieved with a retractable system which has two rows of seats on each level. Co-ordinating "Espace 628" balcony seats and removable matrix seating to the front of the unit complete the chair count.

 The Albert Halls, Bolton, UK

• We also have a raft of solutions for hardworking and versatile studio spaces. At Gloucestershire Everyman Theatre’s studio, simple benches retain the intimacy of the venue. At the Roundhouse, Camden, our durable Accolade chair sits on a mixture of retractable platforms and removable matrix floorbars. At the Forum, Kentish Town, our resilient Alpha chairs combined with modular staging for a flexible demountable arrangement.

  Gloucestershire's Everyman's Theatre, Cheltenham, UK; The Roundhouse, Camden, UK; The Forum, Kentish Town, UK

• Our retractable systems can be customised to accommodate obstacles and features of the building. Here, a sound booth is accommodated within the structure (below left).
• TV studios have their own demands. The seating unit at Sky TV’s Harlequin studios is split into four components to create different capacities and is designed to be transported into storage and even across the road into another studio (below right).

 Maha Bodhi School Theatre, Singapore; Sky TV Harlequin Studios, UK

• Our removable Matrix seating is perfect for floor areas large or small. Here at the Royal Albert Hall, 770 matrix seats cover the arena floor for fully seated events. When not in use, they are stored away on trolleys.

 

Fixed Arrangements

• With the Recital chair throughout, the auditorium of the Redgrave Theatre certainly turns heads.

 Redgrave Theatre, Bristol, UK

• Designed for extra comfort, our Espace 628CC chair has a thick seat pan, high backrest and sculpted timber armrests. It not only looks good in its own right, it's also suitable for retractable, fixed or removable seating areas as well as boxes.

 Canada's National Ballet School, Toronto

• Fixed auditorium seats perfectly suit the clean lines of this venue (below left)
• With comfort and co-ordinating finishes, our Stanza chair sits well in this warm and welcoming venue (below right).

 Hungarian Theatre; Islamic Hub, Singapore

• Over 20 years, we have helped the Royal Albert Hall refit almost their entire venue with traditional auditorium chairs, swivelling chairs, choir benches and removable seating. We’re proud of the stunning result.

The Audience Systems Difference

Audience Systems’ seats cover a huge range of requirements, from simple benches to grand auditorium seats, in fixed, retractable and removable configurations. Yet our core range of seats is also tested to the most stringent level of the relevant British standard (BSEN12727:2000 Level 4). We have a wealth of experience working with theatres, from major international venues to hundreds of community, studio and school theatres worldwide.

 

Our Venue Types pages are designed to give you just a flavour of the options available for your space. Please browse our Solutions Section for more inspiration. Alternatively, you can view some case studies or contact us.