5 Important Roles Lounge Chairs Play in Public Spaces

Today, we’re exploring the key roles that lounge chairs play in the design of public spaces. Read on to learn more about the qualities that have given lounge chairs such longevity in the world of design and discover new ways to take full advantage of this versatile furniture type.

#1: Breaking Up + Sectioning Space

Because lounge seating comes in all different shapes and sizes, this furniture type can play a crucial role in strategic space planning. By configuring lounge chairs into intentional seating combinations, you can do even more with the same amount of space.

For example, the Orb Cluster allows three or four people to sit in close proximity without feeling inconvenienced, insecure, or uncomfortable.

Since the chairs in the arrangement all face different directions, nobody gets the nagging feeling that they are being constantly observed by someone right next to them. An arrangement like this is far more efficient than simply lining three chairs up in a row. In a straight line of three adjacent chairs, the seat in the middle will more often than not be left empty as a buffer space between users. With the Orb Cluster, all available space will be used.

READ MORE: No More Lost Seats in Aviation: 3 Seating Solutions to Consider

A similar effect can be achieved using our Gee Walls. Through the strategic placement of Gee Walls, one can simultaneously communicate traffic flow patterns to patrons and demarcate gathering spaces.

 #2: Creating Feelings of Home

Lounge chairs bring a touch of the comforts of home into public spaces. They conjure up reminiscent feelings of relaxing in an armchair inside one’s own place of safety.

Supporting this ambition, you can use lounge chairs that feature nostalgic wood accents. Wood brings warmth into public spaces, helping your space foster an ambience that is inviting, imbued with traditional charm, and deeply connected to nature.

Agati Frye Lounge Chairs are a statement piece in any public space, with durable, quality construction. Used here as a central component of our installation at Glacier Park International Airport, these sustainable seating solutions tie together the airport’s rustic appeal. 

Such welcoming furniture pieces provide the much-needed feeling of familiarity that travelers visiting new and strange places are seeking. Angled backrests, wide pan seats, and chunky armrests provide optimal comfort, allowing passengers to relax and unwind—leaving with a warm memory of their time spent in the airport.

#3: Supporting Key Behavior Patterns

While this is the most apparent role of lounge chairs in public spaces, it’s important that it’s part of this list. Lounge seating is designed to support extended periods of sitting, and the pieces featured should be comfortable enough for users to use in this way.

While lounge furniture may be utilized for work-style activities by some patrons, like for shorter stints of computer activity, lounge seating is perfect for longer lounge-style activity patterns, which could include reading a book, scrolling on a phone or tablet, or conversing with friends during a long wait.

Our lounge chairs here at Agati can even be customized to support specific activities, such as the addition of a tablet arm or occasional table.

Just ask our team how we can personalize our furniture solutions to meet the specific needs of your space!

#4: Providing Refuge

In restaurant environments, parties who are initially seated at standard tables frequently ask if they can be moved to a booth. But why do so many people prefer booths to tables?

Not only does the lounge-style seating of booths provide cushioned comfort, it also creates a secluded haven of privacy, peace, and refuge.

Here at Agati, one of the biggest parts of our design philosophy deals with satisfying the human need for Refuge—this is when a space creates a cozy feeling, covers one’s back (typically), and makes them feel secure. 

The aforementioned Gee Walls is a prime example of an Agati piece designed to serve this purpose. Other variations such as the Gee Cove and Gee Cove Pinwheel are also ideal for creating private havens within a public space.

In effective space designs, lounge seating can be configured to create secluded sanctuaries that shield users from visual and auditory intrusions. 

READ MORE: Why Providing Individual Space in Airports Makes a Difference

#5: Optimizing Ergonomics

Lounge chairs need to be designed first and foremost for human comfort and usability. Our Roma Lounge, featured above in the Bloomfield Township Public Library, is often the first chair taken in a room for this precise reason.

Each of our lounge chairs are cut at a specific angle in the front so users can get their legs under them, balancing their center of gravity and making it easier to stand up with full leg support. This is a key aspect of providing pieces that function effectively in public spaces.

Additionally, the arms of each of our lounge chairs are designed with heavy-duty materials to withstand high-traffic usage. Built to withstand use by hundreds of patrons a day, for decades, our lounge chairs provide the comfort and support users need to get in and out of the chairs provided with ease. 

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When users are properly supported by the furniture in a public space, they’re empowered to be their most productive selves. Instead of feeling distracted by mental and physical discomfort, they’ll be able to fully focus thanks to the enhanced ergonomics of lounge-style seating.

Looking for lounge seating that will elevate your space’s functionality and style? Message one of our experts to receive personalized guidance that will help you choose the best Agati lounge solutions for your public space.