The A-Chair complements the medieval church nave without pushing itself into the limelight.

Chorin Abbey is a former Cistercian abbey dating back to the 13th century; today, it is being used as an open-air concert venue. During the course of its changeful history, it underwent periods of misuse and decay so that some of the original buildings don’t exist any more. But even today, the Abbey – a listed landmark built in the Northern German brick Gothic style – is a monument of cultural historic importance which conveys a fine impression of its original idea and impact. It houses musical events and is also used for conducting guided tours; it is intended to remain a “ruin under a roof ”.

In 2015, it was decided to replace the 1,330 chairs, which had become quite worn. The architectural firm of Angelis & Partner in Wismar was commissioned to find a chair suitable for outdoor deployment which was to be easily stackable and should also be connectable in rows. Moreover, it was supposed to fit into the historic ambience from the perspective of the preservation and care of historic buildings. The A-Chair by Brunner perfectly fulfils all these requirements. Thanks to a frame and shell made of high-quality robust plastic, this slender stacking chair is ideally suited for outdoor deployment. It is lightweight and thus easy to handle. With its lava colour chosen for this project, the A-Chair pleasantly corresponds with the bricks without pushing itself into the limelight.

For the desired panic-proof row-linking system, Brunner developed a customised solution which goes easy on the historic floor surface in the church nave. A piece of flat steel with a rubberised underside and sturdy edges for the chair legs acts as a distance piece, while panic-proof row-linking elements hold the chairs securely in a row.