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Public seating goes grand!

Published 5 July, 2022 by Johan Berhin

Many airports, shopping malls, and other indoor public locations wish they could go grand in architecture. And giant, organic, prestigious – and costly – buildings are a standard feature. But going grand on the inside is within much closer reach, an opportunity available to all. New public seating solutions offer possibilities of creating grand interiors with curving seating formations that connect seamlessly and go grand, in scale with the building.

This is a way to display the essence of the facility's brand and make a lasting impression. The curved and seamless seating lines are also ideal for naturally directing the flow of visitors. They often accommodate many more passengers per square metre of floor area.

Johan Berhin, Founder & Designer, Green Furniture Concept

Paddington Station, London.

Principles of grand architecture

A fundamental principle of architecture is that large shapes harmonize with large buildings. General architectural characteristics are in scale with the building. This is also true of interiors; large indoor spaces need large characteristics to create an identity and communicate the first impression.

The grand architecture of prestigious public buildings is often also reflected on the inside. The architect can either go with conventional straight rows of seats that will go more or less unnoticed or choose to accentuate the lines of the building by letting the seating echo it and take on its shapes.

Most public buildings are not built with grand designer budgets and are still large indoor open spaces. At these more ordinary locations, rows of individual seats will also pass unremarked, the small furniture like drops in the ocean of space. Switching to large compositions and shapes in the interior will significantly impact the room, and “Wow!” impressions can be made inexpensively. The seamlessly curving public seating formations can be made in scale with the space and become part of the architecture, noticed and appreciated by the passengers.

We’ve made it as easy as LEGO to upload your floor-plan, experiment with our modules, and visualise how your space could look with different furniture and shapes.

Identity through free shapes

Every public location has its character, goals, and visions. Visions of character development can now start to materialize in the interior. Grand, seamless, public seating formations express identity, while the variability of configuration can give a shape to each location. And then there is the choice of colour, or even mixes of colour, that gives life to the room and connects to the colour scheme of the brand of the facility. It all adds up to freedom of expression, multiplied.

Manchester Airport

Natural flow control

Seating is arranged in long lines, curving where you want them to naturally directs foot traffic without making visitors feel herded. Ends of seating rows pointing towards the gates, aisle openings facing the current, flow narrowing slightly near shop entrances. And because the seating formations are modular, the flow can be easily adjusted and redirected when changes are made in the building.

A grand revolution for public seating

Public building seating is evolving and niched challengers like Green Furniture Concept are bringing innovative options to terminals. Airports are strengthening their identities by creatively and effectively using the size of the buildings and the novel potential of grand seating formations. As the transformation takes place, locations are becoming more of an experience, more a part of the destination – and places where people quite like to be. And in the end, that’s business and happy visitors all at once.

We always look for feedback, potential collaboration or partnership. Get in touch with us.

Designing different spaces with our public seating

Our public seating fits a large variety of commercial environments, from schools to offices, airports and everything in between. With our biophilic design, we are bringing nature indoors, connecting people to places and each other.