Chair ganging systems allow individual chairs to connect securely to one another, creating straight, organized rows while maintaining the flexibility of movable seating. For auditoriums, performing arts centers, schools, and other assembly spaces, ganging can provide an attractive alternative to traditional fixed seating.
But what happens when a space calls for elegant hardwood chairs instead of conventional flip-down auditorium seats?
That was the challenge St. Mark’s School of Texas brought to Eustis Chair. After working with us on a successful seating project in 2021, the school returned with a new vision for Decherd Auditorium: replace its standard fixed seating with beautiful hardwood chairs that could click together to form secure rows.
The project required more than simply selecting a chair. We needed to engineer a custom chair ganging system into the hardwood chairs themselves while also adapting the chairs to accommodate the slope of the auditorium floor.
Returning to St. Mark’s School of Texas
Our relationship with St. Mark’s School of Texas began with a project for the school’s Great Hall in 2021. St. Mark’s selected our Burton Judson stacking chairs for the space, combining the beauty of hardwood furniture with the durability needed for a busy school environment.
Following the success of the Great Hall project, St. Mark’s returned to Eustis Chair when it was time to upgrade another important space on campus: Decherd Auditorium.
Located within the larger Decherd Fine Arts Center, Decherd Auditorium is a primary assembly and performance venue on campus. The space hosts school assemblies, performances, presentations, and other events that bring the St. Mark’s community together.
The school wanted to move away from standard flip-down fixed seating and introduce the warmth and elegance of hardwood chairs. However, those chairs still needed to function as auditorium seating.
That meant finding a way to securely connect individual hardwood chairs into consistent rows.
What Is Chair Ganging?
Chair ganging is the process of connecting individual chairs together so they remain securely aligned when arranged in rows. Ganging systems are particularly useful in auditoriums, assembly spaces, chapels, lecture halls, and other venues where individual chairs need to function together as organized seating.
For St. Mark’s, chair ganging offered the best of both worlds: the refined appearance of individual hardwood chairs and the orderly rows associated with traditional auditorium seating. The challenge was creating a system that was easy to use without detracting from the appearance of the chairs.
Engineering a Custom Chair Ganging System
We designed and engineered custom metal ganging hardware directly into the front legs and back posts of the Deerfield chair. The hardware allows neighboring chairs to click together, creating secure and consistent rows. Integrating the hardware into the chairs was an important part of the design. The goal was not simply to find a way to connect the chairs. We wanted the ganging system to feel like an intentional part of the chair itself.
The result is a polished, easy-to-use solution that allows the Deerfield chairs to function as auditorium seating while retaining the appearance and craftsmanship of fine hardwood furniture.
Engineering Hardwood Chairs for a Sloped Auditorium
Chair ganging was only one part of the engineering challenge.
Decherd Auditorium has a sloped floor, which meant standard Deerfield chairs could not simply be placed throughout the room. The chairs also needed to be adjusted to account for the changing angle of the floor.
Our team modified the chairs to work with the auditorium’s slope while maintaining the comfort, appearance, and functionality St. Mark’s wanted.
This is one of the advantages of custom-built hardwood seating. Instead of asking the client to make an off-the-shelf chair work within an existing architectural space, we can engineer the chair around the requirements of the project.
At Decherd Auditorium, both the ganging system and the chair modifications were designed specifically around the room.
An Alternative to Fixed Auditorium Seating
Fixed flip-down seats are common in auditoriums, but they are not the only way to create orderly rows of seating.
Hardwood chairs can bring warmth, craftsmanship, and architectural character to an auditorium, performing arts center, chapel, lecture hall, or assembly space. For institutions that want a more traditional or refined aesthetic, individual hardwood chairs can dramatically change the appearance of a room.
A well-designed chair ganging system makes it possible to achieve that look while still creating the organized rows required for an auditorium.
The St. Mark’s project demonstrates how hardwood chairs can provide an alternative to conventional fixed auditorium seating when the chairs and ganging system are engineered specifically for the space.
Custom Engineering Is Part of Custom Chairmaking
At Eustis Chair, customization goes far beyond choosing a wood species, stain, or upholstery.
Because our chairs are built to order, we can collaborate with architects, designers, facility managers, and institutions to solve unusual seating challenges. That might mean changing the dimensions of an existing chair, developing a custom back design, reproducing the look of historic seating, or engineering specialized hardware.
For St. Mark’s School of Texas, it meant developing a custom chair ganging system and adapting the Deerfield chair to a sloped auditorium floor.
The result is not an off-the-shelf chair placed into an unusual space. It is a hardwood seating solution engineered specifically for Decherd Auditorium.
American-Made Hardwood Chairs Built for the Project
Eustis Chair manufactures our chairs in the United States using beautiful hardwoods. Building our chairs domestically and to order gives us the flexibility to work closely with our clients when a project requires something beyond a standard furniture specification.
The Deerfield chairs at St. Mark’s demonstrate how traditional American hardwood chair making and modern engineering can work together. The finished seating provides the warmth and elegance of hardwood furniture while incorporating the functionality required for a busy school auditorium.
For institutions considering hardwood chairs for an auditorium, chapel, performing arts center, lecture hall, or other assembly space, chair ganging does not have to mean sacrificing aesthetics. With thoughtful engineering, the ganging hardware can be incorporated into the chair itself.
If your next project requires custom hardwood chairs, specialized chair ganging hardware, or seating engineered around a challenging architectural space, contact Eustis Chair. We would love to work with you to create a seating solution designed specifically for your space.