TIPPING PORTOBELLO
A versatile freestanding stacking chair with all the qualities and comfort as one of our fixed theatre chairs.
Freestanding AUDITORIA seat
a multi-functional tipping chair fit for any MODERN venue
Initially created for Hall for Cornwall in Truro, UK, the Tipping Portobello Chair is a derivative of our Portobello Stacking Chair.
The venue wanted freestanding Pit chairs that, to the naked eye, look identical to the fixed Carnaby seats we created for the auditorium. This innovative chair is built for maximum comfort and the nifty addition of a tipping seat also helps to reduce the chair envelope and increase capacity further.
These chairs are designed for multi-use auditoria and allow the seating layouts to be changed quickly and efficiently.
Tipping Portobello can be stacked up to 7-high and has a specially designed ‘barrow’ for one person to safely move them to the storage area. There are several linking bracket variants that allow the chairs to be set out in multiple layouts and to multiple fixing locations.
There are many options for paint finishes and fabrics, along with various back and upholstery styles. The backs are constructed of 2 parts – a ply outer back and an upholstered inner. While the seat cushions are removable to make stacking the frames easier whilst minimising damage to the seat foam.
Like our other ranges, Tipping Portobello can be adapted to replicate any existing venue seating to keep in the same interior design motif.
ROBUST TIPPING DESIGN
A Lightweight Design Specially Made with the Most Robust, Hard-Wearing Fabrics and Finishes.
STACKING CHAIR
Specifically Made to Stack up to 7-high with Custom-Made Trolley.
FREESTANDING
A Tipping Seat that can be Used as a Freestanding Chair or Joined Together in Rows by Secure 3-way Linking Brackets.
BUILT-IN COMFORT
Much Like our Fixed Auditoria Seats, this Chair Benefits from ProBax Comfort Foam.
What makes a tipping portobello
Key features
- Stackable with custom trolley
- Unique Folding Arm
- Anti Finger Trapping Pins
- 3-way Brackets to Link Chairs Together
- Custom Edge Profiling
- Choice of hard-wearing Fabrics and Finishes
- Magnetic Numbering for labelling seating positions
- Advanced ProBax® Comfort Technology
- Freestanding and can be used as 'loose' chairs
best suited for
- Arts Centres
- Traditional Auditoria
- Versatile Venues
- Conference Venues
- Rehearsal Spaces
HALL FOR CORNWALL, TRURO
case example: hall for cornwall
EXQUISITE CRAFTSMANSHIP FOR A STUNNING TRANSFORMATION
Grade II listed, former 17th Century Market House and the former Truro City Hall, the new Hall for Cornwall, has just completed its latest reincarnation. After a £26m, 3-year renovation the venue opened to audiences as The Cornwall Playhouse in October 2021.
To make the venue commercially viable, seating capacity needed to be expanded whilst maintaining aesthetics that fit with the Hall’s location and status. Theatre consultants, Charcoalblue, and Kirwin & Simpson worked with the main contractors to design a family of chairs that could accommodate the multi-purpose performance space.
Some of these accommodations include removable and stackable pit chairs for the front orchestra rows, perch seating for the ground floor wings, accommodating structural supports, and our usual removable, demountable and transfer-arm wheelchair options. Of particular note were the chairs needing to accommodate the structural beams where bespoke dog-leg metalwork was developed to allow two chairs to sit over the beams without a central floor support.
K&S designed 22 variations of custom Carnaby Range seating complete with two shades of bespoke fabric (designed to reflect the slate and oak heritage of the Cornish region). The Tipping Portobello pit chairs were designed specifically to look like they belonged within the rest of the venue. They are linked but easily removed and the unique tip-up arm allows them to be stacked 7-high when not in use.
In total, Kirwin & Simpson added 350 additional seating positions to bring the Cornwall Playhouse capacity up to over 1,300.
“Kirwin & Simpson set the gold standard in theatre seating for Capital Projects. As always, having worked with them before, our chairs on the transformation of Hall for Cornwall’s capital project are stunning. The attention and care they show are exemplary, coupled with exquisite craftsmanship. Their work sits centre stage of our beautiful new auditorium in the newly launched Cornwall Playhouse.”
– Julien Boast, CEO, Hall for Cornwall
tipping portobello in action
some of the places we've installed
