New benches for the Lausanne Cathedral

2022, New benches for the Lausanne Cathedral

Location Lausanne, Switzerland
Client Canton of Vaud, Switzerland
Design Yves Weinand Architecte (Lausanne), Thierry Didot + GAB Manufacture SA
Technological transfer Laboratory for Timber Constructions IBOIS EPFL
Expected Spring 2022

The pews, built with locally-sourced oak wood panels, have an innovative design that does not require either glue or screws. They are assembled using a joinery technique known as snap-fit.

The wood will be sourced from Canton-owned forests in Concise, Etagnières and Cossonay, thus promoting local manufacture and short supply chains.

The new pews will be placed in the Cathedral’s nave and transepts, replacing the rush-seated chairs that date from 1912. They are designed to be easily dismantled and reassembled, allowing them to be moved or stored flat, thus reducing transport and storage space.