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AuStrAliA, Melbourne

Hamer Hall,one of the best venues for acousticsby ashton raggatt mcDougall

The seat selected for the project is inspired by the 128 Carmen model, which meets stringent acoustic requirements, and is finished in natural oak and orange upholstery. Each seat had to be adapted to its specific location, so Figueras ended up creating over 50 variants of the basic model for the hall (stalls and two amphitheatres).

After two years of redevelopment by the architectural firm Ashton Raggatt McDougall (ARM) and auditorium specialists Schuler Shook, Hamer Hall is now fully operational. The upgrading of the venue included improvements to the stage technology and seating, and the creation of new spaces (for employees and performers), a new entrance, and improved access to the riverfront. One of the challenges was to provide the auditorium with acoustics that would make it one of the best in the world.

Figueras provided 2,500 seats for the auditorium. To ensure optimal ergonomics and visibility, each unit has a specific seat width, backrest height and angle, and pedestal angle. While most of the seats are fixed, some, including those in the orchestra pit, are movable. Others have side panels that feature the electronically controlled swing system, which allows the arm to open to the side, making it easier to seat people with reduced mobility.

The seats in the stalls are equipped with an air-conditioning diffuser in the base of the pedestal. After carrying out a number of noise-level tests, Figueras engineers were able to ensure that the sound level of the diffusers does not exceed 6 dB(A) to avoid any disturbance to the acoustics of the venue.

AuStrAliA, Melbourne

THE nEW hAMEr hAll: OnE OF THE WORlD’S BEST vEnuES FOR ACOuSTiCS

The scale of the project and the exacting technical requirements made it a real challenge. The installation was particularly complicated because of the variations in the seat height and the fact that they had to be mounted on the riser face in the amphitheatres.

What’s the most significant aspect of the new hamer hall, the one you’re really proud of?Judith isherwood: it was a complex project that sought to achieve several important outcomes. Key improvements to the foyers, the auditorium (both for artists and audiences) and the way the building connected with the changing face of the city were all important parts of the project. it has been a triumph that the marriage of old and new has worked so smoothly.

What distinctive features of the new auditorium set it apart from any other concert halls in the world?J. i: The auditorium has a theatricality of design that many other halls don’t have. While it works beautifully as a performance space, thanks to the great technology we’ve put into the hall, the excitement can be felt even before the performance starts. The combination of the new seating, the original hand-painted walls and ceiling motifs, the 150 suspended lED lights, and the new sense of warmth makes it a very enjoyable space. Add to these elements the slick movement of the new technical zone and you get a real sense of excitement when you enter the space and before the first note is played.

What were the main needs the seats had to meet? tony Murphy: The original seats were small, somewhat dour, and while part of the overall look, no longer added celebration to the concert hall. The original seats were highly sound absorptive, and removed a significant amount of sound energy from the hall. The new seats have been selected with lower sound absorbent to address this defect and are an important part of a pallette of changes which will substantially improve the acoustic performance of the auditorium.

how would you describe the seats? t. M: The seats feature an oak timber construction with vibrant orange brushed velvet upholstery. The use of timber meets the acoustic performance, but also matches the timber textures of the original palette which feature in the concert hall. The orange velvet provides a strong colour which complements the original mood, but the brightness and plushness add a sense of glamour and “special occasion” in contrast to the monumental interior. The design, fabrication and construction of the seating have been an absolute success with praise received from theatre patrons, critics and performers.

What was it like working with Figueras?t. M: Working with Figueras from project concept through design and finally construction and installation has been a rewarding process. Figueras recognised the importance that Arts Centre Melbourne placed on the auditorium seating, and that we wanted a partner who would work closely with us to achieve an exceptional outcome.The fabrication and installation of the seats was challenging, as always, because of pressure to meet deadlines and the complexity of sharing working space with more than 200 trades, all focused on delivering their own work. Figueras team did outstanding work to deliver the project on time and to a standard of which we are all very proud.

Read the complete interview atwww.figueras.com

Judith isherwood, Chief Executive, and tony Murphy, Redevelopment Project Director, from the Arts Centre Melbourne

with:SEATING TOGETHER

Project details: Name:Hamer Halllocation:Melbourne, australiaArchitecture: ashton raggatt McDougall (arM)theatre consultants: schuler shookConstruction company: baulderstoneClient: arts centre MelbourneFloors: 8Capacity: 2,500 seatsProduct: custom Product

“We wanted a partner who would

work closely with us to achieve

an exceptional outcome.”

tony Murphy, Redevelopment Project Director

Ground plan for the auditorium

3www.figueras.com

Seats

ECo-DESigN FOR THE SiEMEnS SuSTAinABlE BuilDinG

Waiting areas

iMPROvED ErgoNoMiCS FOR THE MAuro BEnCH

in CollECtivE FACilitiES

uNitED KiNgDoM, loNDoN, the Crystallocated in the district of newham, london, The Crystal is one of the world’s most ecological buildings. The exterior was designed

by Wilkinson Eyre Architects, and the interior by the Pringle Brandon design studio. The auditorium is housed under a red,

oval-shaped structure and is fitted out with the Figueras 5036 TOP seating model, chosen for its comfort. This seat is made from

monomaterials, in line with the Figueras eco-design principle. Eco-design means taking environmental criteria into account from the

initial, design stage of a product, using recyclable materials and monomaterials, and using industrial processes that contaminate

as little as possible. The company has iSO 14000 certification, confirming its good environmental practices. This standard calls

for compliance with certain environmental requisites from the product design stage through to its manufacture and subsequent

installation.

The Mauro bench, designed by Ricardo Bofill Taller de Arquitectura, is a classic Figueras model. Designed for airports and waiting-rooms it is a modular bench of generous dimensions and special ergonomic characteristics. its elegant lines and ergonomic shape have been improved upon even further in the last year, thanks to newly formulated materials. One of the most prized features of the Mauro is how the seat and backrest adapt to the user. This effect is achieved thanks to the spring structure and the semi-rigid polyurethane padding. The company is now using a more elastic, mouldable polyurethane that is more comfortable, a very necessary feature in seats such as these which are often used for long-term waiting. Another new feature of the Mauro bench is the optional leather upholstery and the different colours available.

Automatic seating systems

A 1,200-SEAt MuTASuB inSTAllATiOn FOR THE HiSTORiC CiTy OF GABAlA

in CollECtivE FACilitiES

Modular seating

An OPTiOn FOR MultiFuNCtioNAl SPACES

Sports facilitiesSOCHi inAuGuRATES iTS BRAnD-

nEW olyMPiC SKAtiNg PAlACE

ruSSiA, SoChi, iceberg Skating PalaceThe iceberg Skating Palace, scheduled to host the 2014 Winter Olympics skating championships in Sochi, has been inaugurated. This multifunctional sports stadium with a seating capacity of 12,000 will be the venue for the figure-skating and short-track speed skating trials. A predominant feature is the fact that it can be disassembled and moved to another Russian city for use after

the Olympics. Figueras has equipped the viP area of this stadium with models 5136 Tango and 13036 Megaseat, both amply dimensioned for excellent user comfort.

AZErBAiJAN, gABAlA, gabala Congress CentreThe historic city of Gabala is shortly to house a huge congress centre. The new centre, 10,200m2 in area, will have a 1,200-seat conference hall. This space will also serve as the venue for other types of events, due to the fact that the 5064 Minispace seats are mounted on a Mutasub system. This system enables the rows of seats to be stored under the technical floor of the hall, while retaining the same row arrangement. Depending on the type of seat there is minimal, yet sufficient, storage capacity beneath the raised floor for this purpose. in this particular case the model selected requires only 35 cm of underfloor storage space.

Figueras launches a new concept for defining its range of seating: Modular Seating. The aim is to differentiate it from other types of seating, as the Figueras modular range is designed for collective facilities. This modular seating has the same characteristic features of safety, design and comfort as the Figueras fixed seating. in addition, it will give your space the necessary multifunctionality to make it profitable within a short time. These seats, like our armchair seating, are tip up, can be linked together and can also be numbered. For more convenient handling they are easily stackable and can be transported on special trolleys.

5www.figueras.com

The new 3557 seat FiBES auditorium, in black and silver, is Spain’s largest hall. The space is one of the key elements of the Seville Conference and Exhibition Centre expansion, but it is not the only impressive new feature. The building, designed by Guillermo vázquez Consuegra, also boasts an exhibition area with 20 multipurpose rooms, a 700-m² hall for exhibitions, a catering area that can handle 2,000 diners, and a pillar-free five-floor underground parking area. Thanks to this outstanding new facility, Seville is strongly positioned to become Spain’s third most popular conference destination.

Project details: Name:Seville Conference and exhibition Centrelocation: seville, spainArchitecture: Guillermo vázquez consuegraClient: fibestotal floor area: 40,000 m²Capacity: 3,557 seatsProduct: K seat, custom product Photos: Duccio Malagamba

SPain, Seville

vázquEz COnSuEGRA CREATES FuNCtioNAl COnvEnTiOn CEnTRE WiTH DiStiNCtivE lOOK

Ground plan for the auditorium

thE K SEAt: a unique MoDel by vázquez consueGraThe seat installed in the FiBES auditorium was designed by architect vázquez Consuegra. Dubbed the K seat by its creator for the form of its profile, the model is a unique product with a fine hardwood structure the same colour as its leather upholstery. its most distinctive feature is the smooth, unbroken line formed by each row of seats, a visual effect that gives the auditorium a uniform, rational look to match the architecture of the building. The K seat includes a spacious table in the backrest for use during conferences. Thanks to its seamless profile, in the folded position the table blends in perfectly with the rest of the seat.

What are the features of a good convention centre?A convention centre is a meeting place, a place where people connect and come together. it’s a space where all citizens can engage in civic exchange on matters related to the world of culture and knowledge. The objective behind the design of the Seville Conference and Exhibition Centre was to construct an urban place, with an architecture that can relate the history of our times, but that can also accommodate the future.

how do you go about creating a convention centre with such a clearly defined, distinctive personality? The design of the building is dictated by its surroundings. For the large auditorium, the idea was to investigate and explore environments and atmospheres that were different from those we’re accustomed to. The abundance of natural light and the presence of vegetation in the auditorium determined the asymmetrical configuration of the hall and suggested the possibility of using aluminium as the only cladding

material. The sheen and reflectiveness

of the aluminium activate and enhance the

presence of natural light in the interior.

you’ve said it’s a design that couldn’t be used in any other city. Why is that?it’s a building defined by the conditions of the site. The architecture of a building like this one, which acknowledges its relationship to history, geology, topography and the culture of the place where it’s constructed, loses its meaning and raison d’être when taken out of its original context.

What are the features of the FiBES auditorium that stand out, apart from the fact that it’s the biggest in Spain?The presence of light that enters from the side of the space dictates the asymmetrical layout of the auditorium. The interior wall that gives onto the courtyard is continuous and luminous. This creates a contrast with the opposite wall, which is angular, discontinuous and faceted. These lateral façades, together with the luminous ceiling, create an extraordinary atmosphere of silver—luminous and vibrant—in the building’s interior. Another distinctive feature is the amphitheatre, which seats over a thousand people and can be partitioned off from the stalls. This part of the auditorium can in turn be divided into two 500-seat sections, so three different events could be held in the auditorium at the same time.

how would you define the seating used in the auditorium? What needs did it have to meet given the way it’s used?in view of the geometry of the space, one of the main objectives when it came to furnishing the hall was that the rows of seats should form continuous planes in which the individuality of each seat would be diminished. The idea was that they should form something resembling a continuous bench. The fact that the rows of seats are staggered—that is, the row ends are not aligned—and the need to equip the ones in the stalls with conference tables made this continuity a desirable feature; the tables would be installed on the vertical, continuous plane formed by the backrests. The result, the K seat, is a sober, elegant and extremely comfortable model, and the continuous collaboration of Figueras technicians throughout the process was essential to achieving a successful outcome.

Read the complete interview atwww.figueras.com

guillermo vázquez Consuegra, architectwith:SEATING TOGETHER

“The K seat is a sober, elegant and extremely comfortable model”

guillermo vázquez Consuegra

FiguErAS uKloNDoNTel. +44 (0)20 7251 8936 Fax +44 (0)20 7250 0537info@figueras.co.ukwww.figueras.co.uk

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FiguErASSEAtiNg uSA (New york)Tel. +1 646 350 4864Fax +1 646 350 4865infony@figueras-usa.comwww.figueras-usa.com

FiguErAS SEAtiNg ASiA SiNgAPorETel. +65 6514 4154Fax +65 6258 2154info@figuerasasia.comwww.figuerasasia.com

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8MiN.hEADQuArtErS& FACtory08186 lliçà d’AmuntBarcelona (Spain)Tel. +34 938 445 050 Fax +34 938 445 070info@figueras.com

Why can’t an auditorium be used to hold conferences?Why can’t a conference room be used as a theatre? Why can’t a theatre be used to hold a banquet?

The new Mutaflex movable seating system makes it possible to use the same space in different ways. The system operates in a simple, effective way: press a button and the transformation is completed in just minutes. Turning a stalls seating area into an open space is no longer just a possibility: it’s a reality.

THE METaMORPHOSiS OF SPaCEwww.figueras.com/mutaflex

Go to the Mutaflex System video using this qr-code.