SAT[osphère] seating

Custom furniture for dome structures
Client: Society for Arts and Technology [SAT]
Montréal, 2008

Only a few days after I finished my bachelors degree in industrial design, I met with people from Society for Arts and Technology (SAT) and offered them my services! Luckily for me, they were working on a project for the 400th anniversary of Québec City. They were building a 60 feet diameter inflatable half sphere (called the SAT[osphère]) inside which they would display 360° projections as well as conferences on the theme of the First Nations. The logistic and realization of the half sphere was using nearly all monetary resources and definitely all human resources; in other words, they could definitely use the extra help!

I was then asked to design custom seating that could host at least 180 people. My inspiration came from the First Nations theme. I thought of roots where spectators could sit or lay down to admire the skies. I also wanted the spectators to feel like in a playground and be able to reconfigure the seats as they saw fit.

The seats are made with tough fabric and filled with polyester fibers. This choice of material was drawn by the need of comfort while lying on them as well as the acoustic absorbent qualities of fabric—as the half spherical interior reflects sounds in all directions.

Production manager: Louis-Philippe St-Arnaud

  • The result is a 20 feet long by 18 inches diameter cozy and flexible 'cylinders'.
  • Every single tube was filled by hand—with love—at the SAT. I have sewn the first prototype my self but I gave the 23rd others to a professional.
  • Every pouch is equipped with an opening on both extremity, to ease the filling, handles for transport and loops to tie two or more tubes together to create various arrangements.
  • Of course I couldn’t do this project without the help of my friends! More then two days of very physical work. Shown on this pictures : Marilyn Teuwen and Julien-Pierre Laurendeau. Behind the camera Pierre-Alexandre Poirier.
  • Here’s an overview of some of the tubes wile the are being spray with fire retardant product. This photo was taken as a proof for the inspectors...