Client: Glyndebourn Opera House
Type of works: supply of a custom retractable seating unit with integral music stands

When Glyndebourne Opera House took the decision to develop the Ebert Room into a performance and rehearsal space they set an interesting but very demanding brief for the successful seating company to achieve;

• The Ebert Room needed to be multi-use so the tiered seating had to retract back into a 1200mm deep space, leaving the whole floor area clear for other activities.
• Each tipping seat had to provide a single seat space for singers rehearsing or a twin seat for the audience yet still fold down into a 200mm space.
• Each seat space had to have a music stand or table suitable for rehearsal notes and music scores that was adjustable so musicians could either sit or stand for their work. The music stands had to be an integral part of the system without removable parts and were also required to fold into the telescopic platform easily and efficiently.
• When used for a seated audience the music stands had to fold out of the way and not interfere with the comfort or sight lines of the audience.
• The chairs, seating structure and accessories had to have a very high level of trim and finish to match the ethos and culture of quality at the Glyndebourne Opera House.

Hussey Seatway Ltd won the bid and because of the complexity of the design brief every component was custom designed and manufactured to suit Glyndebourne's exacting standards.

Dave Locker Technical Director at Glyndebourne Opera House said:"Hussey Seatway proved to be exceptionally straight forward and professional to deal with in the design, development and installation of the Ebert Room seating. Their Directors previous experience of the main theatre proved invaluable in establishing from the outset the high standards demanded in all areas at Glyndebourne and I congratulate them on the delivery of a first class product".