In 2006 the Suntory Hall marked its 20th anniversary by undergoing a major refurbishment. It was decided to renew the audience seating but with the stipulation that ‘the superb acoustics and atmosphere of the Hall remain unchanged.’ The original seating, installed when the hall first opened, was retained with the cushions and fabric being replaced and the wood restored. In undertaking this, great care was taken to preserve the same reverberation time of the hall as when the facility was first established.
Universal design was demanded for the audience seating. In order to allow wheelchair users to enjoy music from the same seats as the rest of the audience, new designs were introduced facilitating transfer from wheelchair to seat while retaining the same external appearance of the seat. Some seats had armrests that swung outwards while in areas with differences in floor level, the seats could be raised, lowered and turned sideways to produce barrier-free seating.
Following this refurbishment, the Suntory Hall continues to be loved by both world-famous artists and audiences alike. The orchestra chairs used by the musicians have also been extremely well received. Courtesy of Suntory Hall and NHK Symphony Orchestra, Tokyo
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