Seating Systems in Worship Centers
A history and study
As published in Worship Facilities, Sep/Oct 2006
Stone Cathedrals, bells and buttresses. Rows and rows of hardwood planks, hardwood backs — straight up, no padding. Stone floor, flat, extending over 150 feet from the altar back to the narthex…
This was church seating throughout the western world for centuries. Then came the padded pew with cushions and soft fabrics. Pews aren't the only choice, but what are today's options? What questions should be asked before selecting a seating system?
Mom's Best friend
Pews are family friendly. Mom can tow the kids, their blankets, toys, a purse and even Dad behind her, and get everyone situated in seconds. But they will consume a long stretch of the pew. Is there a problem?
The Building Committee tells the architect that they must have 500 seats. They state the church was mostly young families with children, and worship services are family-inclusive. They choose pews for these reasons. Building codes state 18 inches of pew per person. That translates to 750 feet of pews for 500 seats.
On grand opening Sunday, 350 folks fill up the pews. Another 100 are squeezed into chairs and standing room. The Building Committee is completely surprised. What happened to the 500 seats?
No one fits into 18 inches of space without a physical separation. People do "pew sprawl". Sprawl will consume about one-third of your code-calculated seating positions. You want the convenience, but not the sprawl. What do you do?
OPTION 1 Put in 40% more seating positions than you need, using the 18-inch rule. Downside: This will also drive up the amount of parking spots, bathroom stalls and aisle widths due to code requirements. Construction costs go up. Upside: Pews cost less per defined seat than other seating systems. This may offset the indirect costs of more footage and square feet.
OPTION 2 Go with armless theater seating or a hybrid pew with flip-up individual 21-inch wide seats. Downside: Costs more than pews on a seat-per-seat basis. Upside: Pew convenience without oversized bathrooms, aisles and parking lots.
Frequently Asked Questions
Question #1: What sort of questions does the church need to ask before making seating decisions, and when should they ask them?
Answer #1: The church and their design/ construction professionals need to answer this issue before the room is designed. Seating, more so than sound and lighting, can be the #1 building element that supports or fights a good experience. Here are some questions that the church needs to ask itself:
What is the personality and culture of this congregation? Are we older, younger, traditional, post-modern, conservative, charismatic, family-driven, baby-boomer, young career couples or what? Do we like to jump up and clap during every worship song? Do we move out into the aisles? Are we very formal or does church feel like a concert? How much do we move around during service? Are we going to encourage people to bring their cup of designer latte into the room with them?
What is our position regarding those with disabilities? Do we follow code minimums or are the disabled a higher priority? Do we have a lot of late arrivers? Do we hold them back until a pause in the service or do we want them to mingle in anytime with ease? Do we have a lot of families with little kids or babies? Are we going to compel them to use children's ministries or welcome them into the main room?
Are we doing or going to do a lot of ticketed events, such as dramas, concerts and pageants? Do we want assigned seating? Is it enough to warrant a theatre-style seating system and numbering system?
Question #2: What do particular seating styles communicate about a church's image?
Answer #2: We all have our stereotypes. They are usually unfounded. Here are some seating stereotypes:
Portable Chairs: Transitional, flexible or young and small. Church service is probably very casual. If the chairs are cheapo, then the perception is rinky-dink. Nice portable chairs will offset this stereotype.
Theater Seats: Performance driven, seeker-oriented, a lot of concerts, senior pastor who has books published, mostly young couples and a latte bar in the foyer.
Pews: Traditional, possibly liturgical, a majority of members use Geritol, Hymn books rather than projected choruses. This irreverent attempt at exposing faulty stereotypes hopefully has not offended anyone. Seating should not say anything about a church body, but merely be a tool that matches the culture and type of usage needed.
Question #3: Do certain styles of seating lend themselves to...
... better sight lines?
Not really. Sightlines are mostly driven by vertical offset between rows, and only slightly by horizontal seat staggering. Any seating type can be placed on a sloped floor or stepped riser and achieve good sightlines.
... better comfort?
Comfort is a multi-faceted issue. Is it a cushy seat? Is it a soft, tilted seat back? Is it seat width? Is it ease of entry and exit? Is it having "my personal bubble — don't touch me"? Is it family togetherness? Whatever seating system is used, it needs to answer this comfort evaluation matrix.
... better longevity?
Any well-built product lasts longer than a cheap knockoff, no matter what it is, and that applies to every kind of seating in existence. Good products cost more and last longer. Cheap junk falls apart quickly.
... better affordability?
A pencil and a notepad cost less than a computer and printer. But will they do the job? Affordability is a function of first cost, life-cycle cost and suitability to task. What is the "cost" associated with uncomfortable members and first time visitors, cleaning and repairs/maintenance of a cheap seating system that does not meet your needs? Conversely, can you afford the up-front installation costs of a highquality seating system?
Building codes
In the real world, there are building codes. They protect us from shoddy construction practices that could threaten health, lives and property. Seating is one of those areas affected by this issue.
Some churches want to have movie theater style seats with a cup holder for your coffee cup. Some want chairs with tablet arms for taking sermon notes. Some churches want long seating rows without center aisles. Whatever the case is, building codes affect each of these conditions. The code mandates a minimum clear row-to-row spacing between obstructions, and it grows as you add continuous seats between aisles. Tablet arms, cup holders and long seating rows will add more inches between each row, in order to meet building codes. If those goodies are important, plan on adding a fair amount of rows and square footage to your building footprint, or you might not meet the code.
Conclusion
There is a lot more to the selection of seating than just the basics commonly known. Start asking the questions before room shape and style are nailed down. The questions asked, and the information learned will reveal things about the church as a body that can actually help resolve other non-seating issues. Get advice from your architect, your builder, other churches, seating manufacturers and assembly space consultants and then make decisions. Try out some physical samples. After all, who wants to wind up with hardwood planks and stone floors?
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