This New Wes Anderson-Inspired Movie Theater Seat Aims to Protect You Against Covid

Zack Sharf
·2 min read

London design studio Layer is hoping to make movie theaters safer amid the coronavirus pandemic with its latest invention, a movie theater seat designed for social distancing called the “Sequel Seat.” The architecture and interior design publication Dezeen has a first look at the theater seat, which was designed using the “mid-century pastels” featured in Wes Anderson’s “The Grand Budapest Hotel” in order to give the chair “a connection to the world of cinema.” The Anderson-inspired color palette was also chosen to “distinguish [the chair] from the black and red tones typically seen in cinemas.”

According to Dezeen’s report, the Sequel Seat’s goal is to encourage moviegoers to return to movie theaters by “integrating a series of hygiene features into its fabric and structure.” The fabric on the seat is “knitted from antibacterial copper threads” and “integrates fibers impregnated with copper oxide, granting it antibacterial, antiviral, and anti-fungal properties.”

“It is currently predicted that the global box office could lose $10 billion due to the pandemic,” Layer said in a statement to Dezeen. “Sequel Seat offers the opportunity for cinemas to transform the cinema experience for moviegoers and tackle these challenges in a meaningful way.”

Other design features the chair has to help moviegoers maintain social distancing are LED lights that project the row number onto the floor and headrests with the seat numbers embedded into them. The goal here is for reserved seat assignments to be clear as “to avoid audience members accidentally breaching social distancing measures by sitting in the wrong seat.” A removable protective screen is also attached to each seat and can be used as “a barrier between each member of the audience.”

“We believe that a product like Sequel Seat will play a key role in encouraging people to come back to the cinema,” Layer founder Benjamin Hubert added in a statement. “Sequel Seat is a tool that delivers the enhanced comfort and essential safety features that will help cinemas define themselves as a safe place where moviegoers can be transported to another world.”

Visit the Dezeen website to learn more about the Sequel Seat.

More from IndieWire

Best of IndieWire

Sign up for Indiewire's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.