The Impossible Made Possible

Sponsored content by VICTOR STANLEY, INC.

Since the introduction of our model NRBI-225 and NRBO-225 curved benches, we have been receiving frequent requests asking for custom continuous seating in varying configurations, lengths and mixed radii. Having perfected meeting these design requirements with our backless FRB benches, we set out to solve the complicated engineering, tooling and design challenges for producing custom radii NRB style continuous seating with backs. We are very proud to announce that we made what we thought was impossible, possible.

Comfort was a big challenge in producing these benches, given the compound angles and the need to keep the seat pitched using our traditional contour, rather than the easier, less comfortable and far less elegant seating which some offer using horizontal seats with no pitch. The pitched seat and back required breakthrough innovations in fixture and tooling design coupled with computer communications between machines, resulting in great flexibility and enormous value.

Imagine the complexity of positioning an array of formed steel ribbons in an everadjustable sweep of radii, while maintaining the pitch and comfort of a contoured seating surface. Now imagine incorporating sufficient precision to hold, maintain and weld dozens of such pieces. We can now do benches in fixed radii, concentric radii, even the classic moving elegance of the French curve. And, because of the investment in tooling and technology, we can do all this cost-effectively, flexibly and quickly. It’s just another way Victor Stanley helps you create the perfect setting for timeless moments.

This article originally appeared in the issue of .

Featured

  • Architectural Power for the Modern Campus Landscape

    For generations, an outdoor classroom only required a textbook and a patch of grass. Today, not only has the laptop replaced the printed pages, the rise of agile learning has turned campuses into study halls with students listening to lectures and researching topics from quads, gardens, and plazas. The challenge for architects and facility managers is to provide connectivity without cluttering the landscape with visual eyesores or creating safety hazards with extension cords.

  • Compton High School

    Compton High School

    Established in 1999, the Education Design Showcase is a vehicle for showing off innovative — yet practical — solutions in planning, design, architecture, and construction. Compton High School has been recognized with an EDS 2026 Project of Distinction award in the category of New Construction.

  • A digital silhouette works at a computer, immersed in a glowing, interconnected world

    How Will AI Transform Learning Space Design?

    For years, higher education has designed learning spaces around technology as a tool for display, capture, collaboration, and connectivity. AI changes that equation.

  • Designing Third Spaces That Do What AI Can't

    In 2026, education is evolving faster than ever. With AI reshaping everything from lesson planning to personalized instruction, schools and universities are turning their attention to what AI can’t replicate: spaces that foster collaboration, community, and creativity.