North Carolina State University: Hunt Library

Project Details

Project Description

After two years in design development, in early 2013 we completed building and installing the chairs and tables for this brand new library’s Quiet Reading Room. The Reading Room’s tables each measure in excess of 26 feet and form the centerpiece of the room. The tables were custom designed to accommodate the current and future technological needs of the library and include power, data and custom lighting. The massive tops which sit atop three oval shaped pedestals are fashioned out of 2 inch thick slabs of solid American Black Cherry. Special engineering was required to accommodate the expansion and contraction of such enormous pieces of lumber.

When the University asked us to design a new chair for this project, they spoke of their appreciation for tradition, while sharing their desire to mix comfort with a look they could claim as their own. They requested a design that echoed the historical elements of a Bank of England style chair while at the same time remain relevant in the what was to be a high-tech and very modern learning space. In response, we designed the Hunt Chair — a new interpretation of our hardworking, long-admired Regent Chair so often employed in academic and office settings — and designed to meet these specific comfort and aesthetic needs.

The Hunt Chair embraces a contemporary aesthetic, and offers a clean, sweeping design that complements the library’s architecture. Named after the new library and the former governor of North Carolina, the Hunt Chair can incorporate open or upholstered back options, and can be specified in many Northeastern hardwoods. For the Quiet Reading Room, the University chose the comfort of the upholstered back option. The chairs are made from our signature American black cherry sourced from western Pennsylvania.

The brand new James B. Hunt Jr. Library opened its doors to students in January, 2013 and will host a grand opening celebration in April, 2013.

This is our third major project with the University and we are honored to sustain this ongoing relationship.

Learn more at: mosercontract.com