Exquisitely hand-crafted custom armchairs for jewel-box theatre in spa town Bad Oeynhausen (Germany)

Tailor-made solutions designed to meet the particular needs of a historic building and ensure a flawless installation for its geometrically complex stalls

 

For an all-new product designed to meet the special requirements of the small Theater Im Park theatre, a precious little building that has shaped the cultural scene in the spa town of Bad Oeynhausen in North Rhine-Westphalia for over a century, painstaking work, fine craftsmanship, and the development of fine details and subtle technical solutions were required. A small jewel-box theatre that, like a pavilion, is immersed in the luscious greenery of a splendid urban park and whose setting is enhanced by striking water features.

For this project, the product had a number of factors to satisfy: ensuring maximum comfort for viewers while seated, improving the theatre’s overall acoustic performance, respecting the historical architecture that the new armchairs need to fit in seamlessly with, and maintaining the same number of seats occupied by the old, worn chairs. Last but by no means least, the armchairs—installed in curved rows—had to accommodate the unique layout of the stalls, whose irregular curvature forms a spoon-like surface. LAMM developed a tailor-made product to cater to the particular aspects of the architecture and fulfil the needs and specific requests of the client. The bespoke solution was completed with precision by experienced craftsmen sent to Germany, who installed the seats in curved rows on the “spoon-like” floor, ensuring that every measurement came together perfectly, as if it were a three-dimensional puzzle with no room for imperfections.

 

499 custom armchairs were supplied and installed in the theatre: 351 with a low backrest in the stalls and 148 with a high backrest in the gallery, all of which are fully upholstered, equipped with short sides with solid wood armrests and have damper-cushioned closure. The seat and row numbers embroidered directly onto the Step Melange upholstery by Gabriel is a significant feature that enhances them even more. The painted black frame is designed to solve the issue caused by the “spoon-like” slope of the parterre, with special feet—i.e. cylinders for fixing the armchairs to the ground—that are height-adjustable, enabling the chairs to be adapted to the unique curvature of the stalls. The beam-mounted armchairs are anchored to the cylinders, with spacing of 53-55 cm. The curved-row installation was made possible by the unique calendaring of each beam.

The armchairs were also designed to save space without compromising on the upholstery used to ensure maximum comfort. Said comfort is further enhanced by the special ad hoc shape of the product. The flame-retardant upholstery fabric is very strong and durable, and thick enough to ensure optimum soundproofing. The wooden armrests (which are durable and interchangeable) offer exceptional comfort thanks to their increased depth and large support surface.

Project: Theater Im Park
Location: Bad Oeynhausen, Germany
Client: Stadt Bad Oeynhausen
Theatre consultant: Bernhard Grüsser
Year: 2022
LAMM supply: 499 custom armchairs
Photographs: Wilfried Bordasch Photography

 

VIEW THE PROJECT

LAMM takes on the role of general contractor for the auditorium in Milan’s new IRCCS Galeazzi – Sant’Ambrogio Hospital

With a special focus on the products and solutions of both the company itself and Caruso Acoustic for achieving the LEED Gold designation as part of the green building rating system.

 

A cutting-edge hospital – designed according to the most innovative sustainability and functionality standards – which represents one of the cornerstones of the future ecosystem of research, innovation and healthcare within Mind (the Milan Innovation District); a centre of excellence dedicated to the progress and well-being of people, currently being developed in Milan’s former Expo area. The 94 metre-high hospital structure was built in the space of just four years by the GKSD company and designed by Binini Partners, a studio ranked 48th in the top 200 Italian companies for the best architecture and design (Guamari report by Aldo Norsa). The 600-bed hospital – founded to closely integrate research, university training and healthcare – incorporates two centres of excellence under just one roof: the Galeazzi Orthopaedic Institute (IRCCS – Scientific Institute for Research, Hospitalisation and Healthcare) and the Sant’Ambrogio Clinical Institute; both of which belong to the leading private healthcare Group, San Donato.

The new hospital has been designed and built in compliance with LEED requirements, with the aim of achieving Gold status from this American standard – one of the most important and widespread in the world -, which certifies building performance in terms of their energy efficiency and carbon footprint. One focal point is evidently the use of materials, the choice of which – as pointed out by the San Donato Group itself – “was carried out by meticulously hand-picking the suppliers, in order to meet the LEED protocol requirements as far as production cycle sustainability, recycled content and the absence of potential emissions of substances detrimental to users’ health are concerned.”

 

LAMM didn’t solely procure the products – which in any case, actively contributed to achieving the scores required for the LEED certification criteria – but also assumed the role of general contractor, by managing and implementing the “turnkey” auditorium project. This complex task required the company’s intervention on several fronts: the construction and detailed design; load tests on the structural elements; assistance and technical coordination during the design and construction phases; and the creation of calculation reports for all the structural components and handrail systems.

As far as furnishing the large room was concerned, the L213 padded armchairs with straight sides, faux leather upholstery and a silver-coloured painted structure, were decided upon. 446 chairs were installed in total. The seats are made from FSC-certified woods, with FSC being a trademark that identifies and traces products made with wood sourced from responsibly managed forests. The raised platforms and main stage were also designed and installed by LAMM; both of these boast glass handrails and porcelain stoneware flooring with a natural antibacterial surface, supplied by Florim.

With the aim of achieving optimum acoustic comfort, LAMM entrusted the expertise and long-standing experience of Caruso Acoustic to install two types of bespoke sound-absorbing wall panels: stretch fabric upper panels and wooden lower panels. Both types boast a sound-absorbing mineral fibre core.

Project: I.R.C.C.S. Galeazzi – Sant’Ambrogio Hospital
Location: Milan, Italy
Client: I.R.C.C.S. Istituto Ortopedico Galeazzi S.p.A.
GSD Real Estate S.r.l.
Contractor: GKSD Edile S.p.A.
Architect: Binini Partners
Year: 2022
LAMM supply: 446 L213 armchairs
Raised platforms
Main stage (including the flooring in front of the stage and along the glass façade)
Custom “Caruso Acoustic” sound-absorbing panels (wood and fabric)

 

VIEW THE PROJECT
VIEW L213
VIEW FLOOR TECHNOLOGY
VIEW CARUSO ACOUSTIC