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.