Rows of ST12-13 university furniture by Lamm in a tiered lecture theatre

Inside ST12-13 the bench stays constant and the seat decides which version you get

Lamm

Orlandini Design

ST12
ST12 Available now
From £ 2,000

What did you have in mind?

Trade terms for professionals and design studios

Most product descriptions start with the frame. With ST12-13, by Orlandini Design for Lamm, the frame is the constant: one central tubular steel structure, a fixed writing top 40 cm (15.7 in) deep, and two seats carried on pivoting die-cast aluminium arms. What separates the two codes is the seat, and choosing it is the real decision when the system is specified.

ST12 takes the HL³ seat, designed by Lucci and Orlandini: seat and backrest in beech or oak plywood, or fully or partly upholstered, with ten fabric collections. ST13 takes the New Modulamm seat, whose seat and backrest are joined by a tubular steel connector between 25 mm (1 in) tubular steel sides, finished in pressed, curved plywood in several woods, oak among them, or upholstered, with six fabric collections.

The seat also moves the drawing. Bench plus seat occupies 60 cm (23.6 in) of depth with ST12 and 66 cm (26 in) with ST13, so rows sit 95 cm (37.4 in) apart in one case and 100 cm (39.4 in) in the other. Both versions belong to the same family of university furniture, and both swivel through 360°, the kind of group use normally expected of collaborative workspace furniture. Either one is built in multiples of two, in straight or curved rows, on flat or sloping floors or on tiers, and can be arranged as an island with seats on both sides.

In a British refurbishment that is the useful part: an estates team can keep one bench across a building and still give a seminar room a different seat from the lecture theatre next door.

Technical information based on data declared by the manufacturer.

Collection: ST12-13 (ST12 and ST13 versions)
Manufacturer: Lamm — Lamm S.r.l., Italy
Design: Orlandini Design; HL³ seat by Lucci and Orlandini
What it is: single-structure system for university lecture rooms and conference halls: a bench with a fixed writing top and two movable seats on pivoting arms; built in multiples of two, in straight or curved rows; installed on flat or sloping floors or on steps; can also be arranged as an island with seats on both sides
ST12 — seat: HL³; seat and backrest in beech or oak plywood, or fully or partly upholstered
ST13 — seat: New Modulamm; seat and backrest joined by a tubular steel connector, tubular steel sides 25 mm (1 in) in diameter; pressed and curved plywood in several woods, oak among them, or upholstered
ST12 — fabrics: ten collections, the six shared with ST13 (Inca, King, Trevi, Maya, Silvertex, Extrema Au) plus Ultra, Luna CS, Revive 1 and Remix 2
ST13 — fabrics: six collections, all shared with ST12
Padding: CertiPUR® certified
Movements: seat support arm with automatic spring-return rotation, 64° stroke; swivel seats with a 360° rotation device and calibrated automatic return
Structure: central load-bearing structure in tubular steel, with a steel sheet floor anchor plate
Seat support arms: painted die-cast aluminium
Finish of structure and arms: scratch-resistant, anti-corrosion epoxy-polyester powder coat in semi-matt black RAL 9005, semi-matt silver or embossed graphite; structure and arms may take different finishes
Writing top: HPL double-laminate chipboard, 27 mm (1.06 in) thick, 40 cm (15.7 in) deep, matching ABS edges
Top finishes: black, white, tele-grey, graphite, eucalyptus, oak, grey oak, beech
Wooden components: low formaldehyde emission
Shared dimensions (seat at rest): writing top 75 cm (29.5 in) from the floor · seat 44 cm (17.3 in) from the floor · front panel 21 cm (8.3 in) high · two-seat bench 120 × 40 cm (47.2 × 15.7 in) · depth with the seat turned, in plan, 98 cm (38.6 in) · curved rows with a minimum radius of 800 cm (315 in)
ST12 — dimensions: bench plus seat depth 60 cm (23.6 in) · distance between the two seats of a bench 68.5 cm (27 in) · row pitch 95 cm (37.4 in) · straight row of six seats 395 cm (155.5 in)
ST13 — dimensions: 66 cm (26 in) overall depth of each unit with its seat · 68 cm (26.8 in) between the centres of its two places · rows spaced 100 cm (39.4 in) apart · 405 cm (159.4 in) for six places in line
Accessories: painted extruded aluminium front panel, 21 cm (8.3 in) high, in the same three paints as the structure and arms · floor-length front panel in the eight top finishes · power with sockets accessible on the top, or applied to the central load-bearing structure (socket on request) · inter-row bar for installations not fixed to the floor
Testing: tested to European standards (the manufacturer does not give standard numbers)
Awards: ST12 — Best of Competition, Educational Spaces Innovation Awards 2015, New Orleans (USA); HL³ seat — Good Design 2010 and Silver Award, The Best of NeoCon 2010

La Mercanti Srl — trusted supplier for design and contract projects since 1997.
San Benedetto del Tronto (AP), Italy · +39 0735 753833 · info@lamercanti.com
Supply, quotations, specifications and project support across the UK and worldwide.

When it is the right choice

  • Lecture rooms and conference halls that alternate lectures with group work.
  • Projects that want a fixed writing top with a seat that moves.
  • A choice between plywood and upholstery, on the HL³ or the New Modulamm seat.

When another solution suits better

  • For the most places in a continuous row of tip-up seats, Lamm's E5000 offers a pitch adjustable from 51 cm.

Documents and Catalogues

Public Catalogue Education Catalogue Conference Catalogue

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FAQ

Where can power go on an ST12-13 bench?

Lamm offers two electrification systems. One is installed on the writing top, with sockets you can reach while working; the other is applied to the central load-bearing structure. In both cases the socket itself is supplied on request, so it has to be specified with the order rather than assumed.

Can students sitting in different rows share one table?

Yes. The seats turn through 360°, and Lamm describes this rotation as what turns the system from a simple study bench into an island for study and work groups, so that people seated in different rows can share a single table. A calibrated automatic return brings each one back afterwards.

What is each seat carried on?

On a pivoting arm in painted die-cast aluminium. The arms come in the same three finishes as the structure, semi-matt black RAL 9005, semi-matt silver or embossed graphite, and may differ from it. Each arm turns on a spring that brings it back automatically, over a 64° stroke.

Which finishes does the writing top come in?

Eight: black, white, tele-grey, graphite, eucalyptus, oak, grey oak and beech. The top is HPL double-laminate chipboard, 27 mm (1.06 in) thick, with ABS edges in a matching colour. The floor-length front panel is offered in the same eight finishes, so the two can be matched.

Why is ST12-13 laid out in multiples of two?

Because each bench is 120 cm (47.2 in) wide and carries two seats. A straight row of six seats, three benches, measures 395 cm (155.5 in) with ST12 and 405 cm (159.4 in) with ST13, which is why seat counts always come out even.

Putting an ST12-13 lecture room back in order after class

The arms and swivels on ST12-13 are designed to return on their own. This is what to check, place by place, at the end of a session.

Wait until the room has emptied

On ST12-13 each support arm swings back by itself under spring after a 64° stroke, so the rows start to reset as people stand up and leave. Checking while the room is still full tells you nothing.

Walk each row from one end

Look along the row rather than at single places. The units are built in multiples of two on one central structure, so a place that has not come back stands out clearly against its neighbour.

Check the swivel return

Each swivel turns through 360° and has a calibrated automatic return. A place left turned towards the row behind is the first thing to note on the walk.

Clear the writing tops

The HPL double-laminate top, 27 mm (1.06 in) thick with matching ABS edges, is fixed: nothing folds away, so whatever is left on it stays in view for the next group.

Log what needs attention

Record any place that did not return with its row and position in the room, so the issue can be reported with its exact location.