Part of Grimshaw’s building for a new Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center (EMPAC) at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, this custom-designed seating offers both comfort and acoustic response for visitors to the 1,200-seat concert hall, 400 seat theatre.

Designed in collaboration with Billings Jackson, the EMPAC seating is formed of a curvaceous maple structure, upholstered in leather.

The shape and materials reflect the optimum balance necessary to create highly durable chairs that are also supportive and contribute to stabilising sound in the auditoria.

The design is driven by the curved wooden panels, which are produced in varying widths but derived from the same mould to maximise production efficiency. Each chair is connected to the floor with a simple laser-cut steel plate, creating an effective seating solution for this leading arts centre.