Prima (Apex Series) | Auditorium / Corporate / Museum / Intimate Theatre
The Prima auditorium chair is the obvious choice when luxury and attention to detail are factors during the selection process. Ideal for corporate training facilities, museums, or intimate theatres, Prima offers a refined look, clean lines, and a feeling of stability and superior comfort. Its back is constructed with two inner back panels — the lower panel incorporates a lumbar cushion for extra support. Solid leg panels give the chair a more substantial feel, and the availability of a wider seat allows Prima to accommodate a greater range of users.
Key Features & Ergonomics: Rich upholstery or veneer finish leg panels and integrated armrests; dual-panel inner back with dedicated lumbar cushion; gravity bumpered seat mechanism; wider seat option for a broader range of users; durable powder-coat steel components; double needle stitching on leather components; lifetime warranty.
Advantages:
- Gravity Tip-Up Seat: Prima's gravity counterweight mechanism ensures consistent, automatic return to the upright position — unlike spring or cylinder mechanisms, which can develop inconsistent tip-up action as steel springs weaken, affecting room aesthetics and potentially violating egress code compliance. The gravity mechanism operates silently, without the squeaks or loud impact sounds typical of spring-based seats, and will never fail over time.
- Office-Chair-Grade Seat Construction: Patterned after ergonomic office chairs, Prima's flexible polyurethane foam is glued directly to the seat structure rather than built on serpentine springs, which fatigue, sag, and eventually require replacement. This delivers lasting comfort and completely silent compression during use.
- Custom Upholstery Options: Prima's all-wood construction (versus metal seat pans with serpentine springs) allows for detailed custom upholstery detailing. The fully-upholstered seat uses a zippered slip-on fabric cover for fast, easy on-site replacement.
- Cost-Efficient Frame Flexibility: Prima legs are laminated assemblies of furniture-grade particle board with steel hinge assemblies, allowing simple, cost-efficient design modifications to conform to unique building conditions.
- Lower Total Cost of Ownership: While a lower-cost alternative may seem attractive upfront, Prima's durability and TSI's warranty/service levels mean the investment is recovered through significantly reduced maintenance and replacement costs over the product's lifetime.
Available Models:
- Prima A1-U — Upholstered seat/back cushions, outer wood veneer panels (finished plywood edge), upholstered leg panels. Optional customized backrest detailing.
- Prima A1-W — Upholstered seat/back cushions, outer wood veneer panels (finished plywood edge), veneer leg panels. Optional customized backrest detailing.
- Prima C1-W — Wood veneer outer back panel with fully-upholstered seat, veneer leg panels, zippered slip-on seat cover.
- Prima C1-U — Wood veneer outer back panel with fully-upholstered seat, upholstered leg panels, zippered slip-on seat cover.
- Prima C3-U — Fully-upholstered seat and back cushions, upholstered leg panels, zippered slip-on covers for easy replacement.
- Prima C3-W — Fully-upholstered seat and back cushions, veneer leg panels, zippered slip-on covers for easy replacement.
Customization Options:
- California Technical Bulletin 133 Fire Code Compliance (where required by local codes)
- Back & Leg Options — Backs/seats available fully-upholstered or with outer veneer panel; veneer-panel backs available with top reveal or three-sided reveal detailing; leg panels available in veneer or fully-upholstered
- Aisle Lights — Low-voltage (24V) lighting installed in end leg panel with frame-routed wiring for a clean installation
- Seat & Row Identification / Donor Tags — Recessed wood-mounted plates for a flush, tamper-resistant finish
- Solid Wood Edges — Conceal plywood layering on optional outer wood seat/back panel edges for a warmer appearance
Specifications:
- Frame spacing: 20", 21", 22", 23", 24" c.c. (of leg panels)
- Legs: Laminated furniture-grade particle board with steel hinge assemblies
- Finish: Durable powder-coat standard on all steel components
- Stitching: Double needle stitching on leather components
- Lumbar support: Standard integrated lumbar cushion
Warranty: 3-year standard warranty against manufacturing defects.
Installation Overview: Installed per approved floor plan using precise center-to-center width spacing (±1/8" tolerance), with front floor bracket holes offset per panel specifications. Leg panels are bolted to the floor (with carpet-punch holes where applicable), followed by outer back attachment via angle brackets, shoulder panel attachment via flush mounts, lumbar panel attachment, hinge assembly alignment, and seat attachment via hinge-mounted brackets. Full installation instructions and floor mounting details available on request.