This October marks 25 years since Fairfield University completed a major renovation and expansion of its DiMenna-Nyselius Library. When the transformed library officially reopened in October 2001, students returned to a building nearly twice its previous size, filled with new technology, expanded collections, welcoming study spaces, and 500 custom chairs designed specifically for the project. Those chairs were made by Eustis Chair. Twenty-five years later, the original Fairfield Chairs remain in use, offering a fitting example of what can happen when architects, institutions, and furniture makers design with longevity in mind.
A Major Transformation in 2001
Fairfield University broke ground on its library expansion in July 1999. The project was supported largely by a gift from alumnus Joseph A. DiMenna Jr., Class of 1980, and was led architecturally by The Stubbins Associates, with construction by Gilbane Building Company. The renovated DiMenna-Nyselius Library officially reopened on October 4, 2001. At approximately 118,000 square feet, the completed library had nearly doubled in size. It offered capacity for 450,000 volumes and seating for approximately 900 people.
The renovation did more than add space. It created an environment intended to make students want to stay, read, study, and gather. That goal influenced everything from the architecture to the furniture.
Inspired by the Arts & Crafts Movement
One of the most interesting elements of the renovation was The Stubbins Associates’ use of Arts & Crafts influences. Fairfield University’s archives note that the architects wanted to create a welcoming atmosphere for reading and studying. In the Mary Hardy Corrigan Reading Room, for example, the antique-style lighting used on the study tables was inspired by the work of William Morris and the Arts & Crafts Movement. That design direction made Eustis Chair’s Arts & Crafts Chair a natural starting point when it came time to develop seating for the new library. Rather than selecting a standard chair, Fairfield University and The Stubbins Associates worked with Eustis Chair to create a custom design specifically for the project. The result was the Fairfield Chair.
From an Existing Design to Something New
The Fairfield Chair was custom designed for Fairfield University based on an Arts & Crafts Chair. For the DiMenna-Nyselius Library, Eustis Chair manufactured 500 Fairfield Chairs in solid white oak. The new design retained the strong, straightforward character associated with Arts & Crafts furniture while incorporating details suited to a busy university library.
One of its distinguishing features is its slightly curved back slats. The subtle curve adds visual interest while also making the chair more comfortable for students spending long periods reading, researching, and studying. The design complemented the larger architectural vision for the library: traditional without feeling outdated, substantial without overwhelming the room, and appropriate for a space intended to serve generations of Fairfield students.
Built for Daily Use
Library chairs have a demanding job. Unlike furniture that may only be used occasionally, academic library chairs can be occupied throughout the day, moved repeatedly, pulled across floors, leaned back on, and used by thousands of different students over their lifetime. That makes durability especially important. A chair specified for a university library should not simply look good when a building opens. It should continue performing years and ideally decades later. The Fairfield University project demonstrates the value of taking that longer view.
500 Chairs. 25 Years.
Perhaps the best part of this story is what happened after the library opened. The 500 white oak chairs Fairfield University purchased in 2001 are still in use today.
For Eustis Chair, that longevity is especially meaningful. We believe sustainability begins with making products that do not need to be replaced every few years. A hardwood chair that remains in service for decades keeps furniture out of the waste stream while reducing the materials, manufacturing, transportation, and expense associated with repeated replacement cycles. It is also why we continue to build our chairs in the United States using hardwood and construction methods intended for demanding institutional environments. Twenty-five years of daily use in a university library provides a much better measure of quality than how a chair looks on installation day.
One Custom Project, A Lasting Design
The Fairfield Chair did not end with the Fairfield University project. What began as a custom collaboration became part of the Eustis Chair collection and has since been selected for other academic spaces. The College of the Holy Cross, for example, later selected 56 Fairfield Chairs in white oak for the Reading Room in its Dinand Library, where the chairs were designed to complement antique white oak tables. A chair created for one university library had become a design suited to others as well.
A Library Made to Last
The DiMenna-Nyselius Library renovation has had its own lasting architectural legacy. A photograph of its grand staircase was even featured on the March 2003 cover of Choice, a publication serving academic libraries and higher education. But buildings are ultimately defined by how people use them. For 25 years, generations of Fairfield University students have walked through the library, climbed its stairs, gathered around its tables, studied beneath its Arts & Crafts-inspired lighting, and sat in its Fairfield Chairs.
We are proud that something Eustis Chair built in 2001 remains part of that experience today. As Fairfield University celebrates the 25th anniversary of the DiMenna-Nyselius Library renovation, we congratulate the university on this milestone and celebrate a collaboration that demonstrates one of our favorite principles of furniture design: The most sustainable chair is often the one you never have to replace.
Furniture for the Next 25 Years
Eustis Chair designs and manufactures custom hardwood chairs for libraries, universities, schools, clubs, and other institutions across the country. Our chairs are made in the USA and can be customized to complement both historic and contemporary interiors.
Planning a library renovation or looking for seating designed to withstand decades of use? Contact Eustis Chair to discuss your project or request a sample chair.