How Interior Design in Education has Changed

One thing that can’t be disputed about old university buildings is the impressive architecture which still creates a sense of grandeur across UK cities today. Whilst from the outside many of these buildings remain unchanged, many of the interiors have been upgraded to offer a more comfortable learning experience.

Look inside today’s educational establishments and you will find modern, vibrant spaces with sleek design and an array of facilities. As universities compete to attract students they continue to enhance their offering from luxury student accommodation to state-of-the-art lecture theatres. And as universities continue to expand and create additional learning blocks, these new buildings combine modern architecture and cutting edge interior design to create hi-tech learning spaces of the future.

You don’t need to look back very far in time however to see how much interior design in education has changed over the years.Learning establishments of the past were usually very serious looking places and lecture theatres were designed purely for teaching with little regard for the comfort of students who would have to sit for long periods of time on hard wooden chairs.

Lecture Hall Chairs

This style of lecture theatre photographed at the University of Glasgow (above)was typical of the design in the late nineteenth century. Much of this style of seating remained in place for many years. Hard wooden seats and rigid backs did not make for a comfortable learning experience!

According to Glasgow University archive sources, this lecture theatre photographed circa 1976 was equipped with a demonstration bench and a long blackboard at the front of the room. There is a platform mounted in the centre of the third and fourth row of benches, on which the lecturer could mount a lantern slide projector.

Moving further on in time, the Boyd Orr Lecture Theatre at the University of Glasgow, pictured below in more recent times, shows how lecture hall chairs moved on from all wood construction. Whilst the seating here looks much more comfortable the lecture theatre interior is pretty dull and uninspiring. This style of lecture theatre interior design was common throughout the 1980’s and 1990’s.

The picture below shows the same lecture theatre, albeit from a different angle, after its modernisation and refurbishment, circa 2010.

Modern lecture hall chairs come in a variety of styles and designs but they generally feature padded seats and backs for comfort and incorporate fixed or folding writing ledges.

Below are two lecture theatres with fixed writing desks which show how the style of chair and fabric colour usedcan dramatically change the look and ambience created. The lecture theatre on the left has a more formal look yet still feels vibrant thanks to contrasting purple and deep red upholstery and a striking colour on the walls. The lecture theatre on the right has a much more vivid look with multi-coloured seats and vibrant orange walls. 

Whilst the majority of lecture theatres still feature seating in straight or curved rows, a new style of seating is starting to become more popular in order to make learning spaces more collaborative and eliminate the need for separate break-out areas for group work.

These cluster seats at the University of London allow small groups of students to sit and work together in an informal learning space.

Universities are starting to experiment with the type and layout of seating in their teaching spaces and many choose to trial new seating in one or two lecture theatres initially to assess the impact it has on learning and teaching. Whether this type of seating becomes the norm in lecture theatres is yet to be seen, but as new university buildings continue to spring up across the country and lecture theatres are upgraded for the future, seating and interior design continues to evolve.

Evertaut is a leading UK manufacturer of lecture hall chairs. The company provides a full service including design, manufacture and installation.