Retractable Seating Systems Are Playing A Leading Role In Theater Revitalization

Far from being a supporting cast spear carrier or chorus line member, revolutionary retractable seating systems are now playing a starring role in the developing story. They’re providing theaters everywhere with much-needed flexibility. Lecture auditoriums, conference centers and exhibition halls worldwide are all benefiting, too.

From limited purpose to multipurpose, in just one stroke

Sometimes called telescopic seating, a retractable seating stand can be partially or fully opened or closed. It can even be wheeled away and stored in a separate room, releasing floor space quickly and easily. Suddenly, theater managers’ minds are awash. They’re finding themselves caught up in a blizzard of boundless possibilities. The question has changed from: “What can we put on this calendar year?” to “What can’t we?!” It’s a wonderful ‘problem’ to have.

It’s true. Confident smiles have replaced worried looks on theater managers’ faces – on the faces of those who’ve wisely made the switch from non-retractable to retractable seating, that is. The cause of all that anxiety, prior to telescopic seating’s timely arrival? Warehouses. No, really.

Consumers of live performances have changing expectations

In cities and towns, warehouses – and some other vacant Industrial Sector spaces – are the new theaters, at least in younger ticket buyers’ minds. For many, but certainly not all, it’s just “SO much cooler” to head out to a live performance at a warehouse as a group of friends, rather than to a traditionally-designed theater, before going clubbing after the show. That means theaters must fight even harder in the scramble for consumers’ disposable income. Investing in modular telescopic seating – available as both horizontally and vertically retractable systems – is allowing them to do that.

As a seating stand smoothly opens, a world of possibilities opens in tandem. All of a sudden, a dizzying array of event options appears. Venue staff love that the systems can move back and forth, fully rotate and move laterally, with so little effort or time involved. And best of all, as venue usage surges, revenue rises in parallel. The wolf at the door has retreated, at last. The threat of closure no longer hangs over the venue like the sword of Damocles. With this gnawing sense of ever-present peril finally gone, newly liberated minds can turn to other matters: in particular, the question of daytime venue usage.

Releasing floor space means theaters are used day and night

In addition to daytime show rehearsals, space can be used for extra revenue-generating painting classes, Classical Pilates, Vinyasa Yoga sessions, and a profusion of other group activities. What’s more, a theater can become a welcoming Community Space, a thriving hub, meaning that interest and possible support from local government might even be forthcoming. Who knows?

But it’s not just about making and saving money, by avoiding costly theater rebuilds and opting instead for ‘revitalization through retraction’ using incredibly innovative seating engineering it can be about saving the planet too.

Where community-friendly meets environmentally-friendly

While respecting the design constraints of theaters, seating specialists can create retractable and fully mobile seating systems that can be positioned at a range of points inside the hall, complementing the building’s configuration, and all the time preserving the floor as they’re moved about and then positioned. Furthermore, there’s no additional lifting equipment required. The stand – which can be motorised or manual in operation when mobile – is 100 per cent stable and safe, and all chairs can be meticulously designed to wholly suit the venue’s look and feel.

As well as carefully controlling costs, theaters are becoming increasingly sustainability-aware. It’s important to them to go about things in an environmentally-friendly way, whilst simultaneously saving money. Thanks to companies who specialise in innovating around seating design and production expertise, venues are ticking both boxes.

So, let the show commence - along with the conferences, weekly classes, all-day workshops, afternoon courses, co-ordinated projects, community group meetings, exhibitions and anything else you can dream up!