BAY SYSTEM, a flexible new seating system designed by Foster + Partners and Poltrona Frau has been launched at this year’s Passenger Terminal Expo in Amsterdam. It is a modular kit-of-parts that can be easily reconfigured to suit different spatial layouts and waiting spaces, whether it be airports, stations or offices. BAY can be adapted to cater to the varying needs of people and offers a flexible and enduring seating solution that can adapt over time.
Mike Holland, Senior Partner and Head of Industrial Design, Foster + Partners, said: “We spent time analysing how people occupy waiting spaces - from large groups to solo individuals. This process informed the design of the new system, which is all about choice, comfort and craft. BAY SYSTEM offers a flexible integrated solution to different seating needs.”
Nicola Coropulis, CEO of Poltrona Frau, adds: "We are proud to present this new chapter of the collaboration between Poltrona Frau and Foster + Partners, with whom we have been pursuing a joint effort in the development of new design and creative solutions for public spaces. This represents an important area of interest for the brand, which has already completed more than 5,000 public spaces projects with its Custom Interiors business unit and is constantly committed to researching innovative design solutions across multiple areas. With the pandemic we faced headwinds in this segment, but more favourable conditions are underway, and we are responding with great dynamism and efficient solutions to meet the needs of public spaces around the globe. The BAY SYSTEM project surely represents for us an important milestone in meeting such needs.”
The system comprises of two main ranges – BAY Gate and BAY Lounge – that have been designed to offer different levels of ergonomic support and privacy.
The primary structure is common between the two systems, with twin central beams creating a simple support for a single or two rows of seats. The space between the two beams conceals space for cabling and provides space to integrate future technologies. Power sockets, induction charging for phones, personal screens and lighting fixtures can all be integrated in a plug-and-play manner, allowing for infinite flexibility.
The seats vary across the two ranges.
BAY Gate provides efficient, high-density seating for areas with short wait times, such as the boarding gates. It is made entirely of hard-wearing, recyclable materials, with an ergonomically moulded plastic seat and slim armrest.
BAY Lounge’s curved seating is based on in-depth studies to understand how people like to sit when they are unaccompanied or in small and large groups. Taking a tailored approach, the system offers a range of layouts with varying levels of comfort, enclosure and privacy. It features a wider cushioned seat and premium finishes for longer periods of rest and relaxation. Due to the versatility of its configuration, BAY Lounge is suitable not only for airports, but also for other public spaces such as campuses, offices, health clinics, hotel halls, malls, museums and meeting rooms, transforming the way people experience moments of pause.
The entire system is fully demountable, allowing components to be separated, reconfigured and replaced, extending the relevance and lifespan of the range. It can be stored compactly, enabling a high level of efficiency during logistics operations, saving space and reducing transportation costs and carbon emissions. Easy dismantling at the end-of-life stage facilitates recyclability of each material.
Its unlimited choice of layouts, broad palette of modular elements and materials, and ease of installation will make BAY SYSTEM a compelling choice for designers, specifiers and transport terminal operators around the world.
BAY SYSTEM will also be on display at this year’s Salone del Mobile in Milan at the Poltrona Frau Flagship Store in Via Manzoni 30.
