St. Paul’s Cathedral Renovates to Create a Comfortable, Multi-Purpose Space

Product: 40/4

Project:

Transform a traditional place of worship into a modern, multi-use space that could host everything from religious services to musical performances and even a professional recording studio, without compromising the beauty of the space.

Location:

London, Ontario — Canada

Solution:

The 40/4 chair’s ability to be easily moved and arranged allowed for new configurations, providing the perfect solution to replace the fixed pews. They chose an elegant veneer version of the chair, which perfectly complemented the custom wood inlay of the floor, enhancing the cathedral’s grandeur rather than detracting from it.

OLD BECOMES NEW

Built between 1844 and 1846, St. Paul's is the oldest church in London, Ontario, and like many historic churches, it faced the challenge of remaining relevant while preserving its heritage. The cathedral’s traditional layout, with fixed pews, was a major limitation. These pews created a single, unalterable aisle, severely restricting the functionality of the space.

Beyond its looks and function, the chairs needed to be comfortable for all attendees. The 40/4 chair's broad back and seat back height provides exceptional comfort, ensuring that everyone feels at ease during long events or services.

“Storytelling has always been the core of selling, and HOWE has a rich history and important design story, HOWE’s 40/4 chair is the original high capacity stacking chair and when considering that category, it was the only chair that made sense.”

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CREATING A MULTI-USE SPACE

In today’s evolving world, spaces need to be compelling in new ways. The goal is to captivate users and encourage people to gather together by creating environments that are both beautiful and highly functional for multipurpose uses. This philosophy was at the heart of a significant renovation at St. Paul's Cathedral, which sought to transform a traditional place of worship into a modern, multi-use space that could host everything from religious services to musical performances and even a professional recording studio, without compromising the beauty of the space.

Ultimately, the renovation was a resounding success. By replacing its fixed pews with the mobile HOWE 40/4 chair, St. Paul's Cathedral successfully transformed its historic space into a flexible, multi-purpose environment. This project is a powerful example of how thoughtful furniture selection can revitalize traditional spaces, making them more relevant and functional for modern communities. The HOWE 40/4 chair proved to be the ideal solution, providing a perfect blend of elegance, versatility, and comfort.

THE HOWE SOLUTION

To address this, the Montreal-based non-profit Trinity Centres Foundation (TFC)—known for its work in transforming underutilized church properties—partnered with the diocese to develop a business plan. This plan, which was approved by city council in November 2023, proposed utilizing roughly 9,000 square feet of church space for a creative sector incubation hub with workshops and studios, and converting the nave and narthex into a 700-seat multi-use space for both church services and other events, including conferences and performances. This ambitious plan necessitated removing the fixed pews and other upgrades.

Inspired by another congregation's renovation plans and images of other places of worship on the HOWE website, Rev. Canon Kevin George, the cathedral's dean, contacted Christopher Rowe, founder of CoR Collection, to request a sample of the HOWE 40/4 chair. This decision was a deliberate choice to find a chair that could match the space's elegant, historical design while providing the flexible functionality they needed. The 40/4 chair’s ability to be easily moved and arranged allowed for new configurations, providing the perfect solution to replace the fixed pews. They chose an elegant veneer version of the chair, which perfectly complemented the custom wood inlay of the floor, enhancing the cathedral’s grandeur rather than detracting from it.

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