Evoke Conference Seating - Camatic

The ambitious new Melbourne Convention Centre was planned to be the most advanced exhibition space in the Southern hemisphere. The versatile 5,500 seat venue can divide into three separate event spaces by using large sliding wall partitions.

Another special feature was the world’s largest Gala seating system – when required, the front rows of seats can be flipped upside down into the floor to create more floor space at the front of each room, providing more flexibility in how the spaces are used. Camatic Seating was awarded the job of providing a custom seat solution that would fit within a tight physical space so as not to interfere with the platform’s rotational action, and stay folded once inverted under the floor.

Flat floor mode with seats hidden underground

Consider

Camatic teamed up with Outerspace to solve the complex parameters of re-configurability, reliability, ergonomics, aesthetics and manufacturability in the tight 12 month deadline.

Arm and rotating knuckle mechanism

Create

Outerspace Design’s engineering department was able to quickly conceptualise elegant and robust solutions with minimal parts, and build them in 3D CAD software. Counter-balancing weights used in traditional seating to return the seat pan and backrest to folded position were replaced with a combination of a gas strut and linkage arms. A similar system using a gas strut and articulating knuckle in a rotating cylinder was designed to facilitate the easy, fluid motion of the large A3 sized anti-panic writing tablet, which quickly and automatically returns to storage position if the user suddenly stands up. Mechanical simulations helped test and communicate concepts before rapid prototypes were CNC machined and assembled for rigorous lab testing.

Build

Cost and weight were reduced by replacing some of the cast aluminium parts with injection-moulded engineering plastics. Computer based simulations, known as Finite Element Analysis (FEA) conducted on the parts enabled Outerspace to optimise the design, maintaining critical strength and durability while reducing material.

FEA on the ‘Jot’ tablet support

According to Fred Blochlinger, Director of Outerspace Design,
“It’s about managing risk. When you’re building thousands of these seats and putting them in a world-class venue and opening the doors to the public, you have to get it right the first time with a high degree of certainty. With such a short timeframe, a combination of real-world lab testing and computer-based virtual testing is the best scenario. You also want the design to be easy and intuitive to use – good design is invisible – guests should notice the event they came to see, not the complexities of their seat!”

The Evoke in situ

Deliver

The resultant Evoke Compact seat design won an Australian International Design Award and is now part of Camatic’s product range available worldwide.

To see a video of the Evoke and Gala seating system in action, visit Camatic’s website here