True radius curved pews can increase seating capacity in your worship space. This means your growing congregation will better fit in the sanctuary you already have or accommodate more worshipers for years to come in your newly built space.
If your church or other sacred worship space resides in a very old, traditional building, you likely have scores of straight pews arrayed in neat rows for your congregants to sit on during services.
While this church furniture is undoubtedly beautiful—and remains a popular worship seating choice today—it often does not take full advantage of available floor space in your sanctuary in the way that modern radius curved pews can.
Let’s take a look at some of the reasons why radius curved pews represent the pinnacle in 21st-century pew construction.
And if your church is facing inevitable growing pains—or you’re working to build a totally new home for worship today—curved pew bodies are worth your serious consideration for creating a more comfortable and inspiring atmosphere.
- Add Elegance and Beauty to Your Sanctuary
While straight pews have a certain old-world dignity and charm, it’s true that they can also seem a little stiff and formal for contemporary congregations—even for those who gather in historic and architecturally impressive worship spaces.
Radius curved pews, on the other hand, complement other decorative elements common in worship settings while offering a more inviting overall appearance.
The sweeping curves of our radius pew bodies lend a quiet yet awe-inspiring beauty to spaces of all shapes and sizes. And, with the ability of artisans to craft curved pews from nearly any wood species—with or without the addition of fine fabric upholstery—you can be sure that your pews will perfectly fit your overall décor.
- Create a More Communal Feel for Worshippers
It’s true that many growing congregations have been turning to theatre-style seating in recent years, especially in large auditorium spaces. However, in many worship settings, congregants are invited to sit and stand for different parts of a given service.
Theatre-style seats can be noisy as people repeatedly rise and sit, which makes this furniture less than ideal for more solemn worship experiences. Extraneous noise during worship can cause people to lose focus on being part of one body coming together for a common sacred purpose.
- Maximize Seating Space and Sightlines
The geometry of curved pew bodies allows your worshipers to have a much easier time seeing and hearing your speakers, musicians, and other worship leaders.
Individuals are angled toward the focal point you select—whether that be an altar, a bimah, or a centrally located traditional pulpit—which helps minimize distractions by providing clearer sightlines.
Additionally, curved pews allow you to physically fit more individual worshipers within a space, simply based on the shape of the pew body versus straight benches.
And, because these handcraft pews are hand-crafted without through-seat dividers, you’ll have even more seating capacity thanks to better engineering.
This article is courtesy of New Holland Church Furniture, a leading manufacturer of standard and uniquely custom worship furniture and seating for the worship space, including religious architectural woodwork, organ casework, sanctuary furnishings, chancel furniture, bimah furniture, and much more, www.newhollandwood.com.
