Guideline for auditorium design

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Literature review on Auditorium

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Contents
AUDITORIUM.............................................................................................................................................2
HISTORY ....................................................................................................................................................3
TYPES OF AUDITORIUMS .......................................................................................................................3
TERMS USED IN AUDITORIUM..............................................................................................................5
DIFFERENT SHAPES OF HALLS .............................................................................................................6
GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF DESIGN:......................................................................................................8
PROPERTIES OF AN AUDITORIUM .......................................................................................................9
SIZE AND SHAPE OF THE AUDITORIM ..............................................................................................10
AUDITORIUM SEATING.........................................................................................................................10
STAGE PROPERTIES ...............................................................................................................................14
SIGHT LINES ............................................................................................................................................15
WALL PROPERTEIS ................................................................................................................................16
SERVICES IN AUDITORIUM..................................................................................................................18
FIRE PROTECTION..................................................................................................................................18
SOUND INSULATION..............................................................................................................................20

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AUDITORIUM
An enclosure covered or open where people can assemble for watching a performance
given on the stage.
An auditorium is a room built to enable audience to hear and watch performances at
venues such as theatres.
An auditorium is a large space that is move of a multipurpose facility.
A theatre is usually a large space that is built to the needs and specifications of the
entertainment.

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HISTORY
TYPES OF AUDITORIUMS
ARENA THEATRE:
Auditorium with audience surrounded on all sides.

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PROSCENIUM THEATRE:
Auditorium with audience only on the front side.
THRUST THEATRE:
Auditorium with audience surrounded on the three sides.

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FLEXIBLE THEATRE:
auditorium with flexible stage and seating arrangement.
TERMS USED IN AUDITORIUM
➢ Proscenium: A proscenium is the area of the theatre surrounding the stage opening. A
proscenium arch is the arch over this area. A proscenium plane divides the performer and
spectators.
➢ House: It is the main seating area.
➢ Gangways: A passage between two rows of seats. The minimum gangway should be
1100
mm.
➢ Aisle: the walkway between each area, row of seats to permit ease of passage,(>=450
mm).
➢ Drop stage: A stage floor that moves vertically on the elevator usually so that one set can
quickly replace another.
➢ Tormentor: A curtain or framed structure used directly behind the proscenium at each
side
of the stage to screen the wings and sidelights from the audience.
➢ Apron: the part of the stage floor in front of the curtain line. Orchestra pit: the space
reserved for the musicians usually in front.
➢ Balcony: a gallery that projects over the main floor of a theatre.
➢ Wing: the platform adjacent to the stage for keeping props.
➢ Box office: where tickets are sold.

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➢ Cyclorama: it is the exterior of the backdrop. It is basically a distinction between
backstage and main stage.
➢ Fire curtain: a curtain or asbestos or other fire-proof material that can be lowered
just inside the proscenium arch in the case of fire.
➢ Green room: the green room is the space in a theatre, studio or similar venue which
functions as a waiting room and lounge for performers before and after a performances
and during the show when they are not engaged on the stage.
ceiling may be flat but it preferable to provide a slight increase in the height near the
center of hall.
the volume per person required to be provide should normally range between 3.5 to 5.5
cu.m.
suitable volumes for different types of auditorium are given below but it is recommended
that higher values be adopted only in special case:
• cubic meters per person
i. public lecture halls 3.0 to 4.5
ii. cinemas or theatre 4.0 to 5.0
iii. musical hall or concert hall 4.0 to 5.5
DIFFERENT SHAPES OF HALLS
floor plans of various shapes are used but the one which is considered to give satisfactory
result without introducing complications in the acoustical treatment of the hall is fan-
shaped plan.
the proscenium may bear any suitable ratio with the height of the hall to suit stage
requirements and considerations of visibility.
the side walls should be arranged to have an angle of not more than 100 degrees with the
curtain line. in the case of talking pictures synchronization of sound with lip movement
is most essential.
also, in the case of theatres a person with normal visions should be able to discern facial
expressions of the performers.

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in order to satisfy these conditions, it is recommended that the distance of the farthest seat
from the curtain line should not normally exceed 23 meters.
DIFFERENT SEATING ARRANGEMENTS IN AUDITORIUM

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GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF DESIGN:
▪ site selection and planning
▪ the choice of the site of an auditorium is govern by several factors, which may be
mutually conflicting, but a compromise has to be stuck between the various
considerations involved. the problems of the noise is an important consideration.
▪ in fact, the quietest possible condition should be provided so that intelligibly of speech
does not suffer and even soft passage of music are heard.
▪ when air-conditioning is provided special care should be taken to attenuate the plants
noise and the grill noise. for this purpose plants should be suitably isolated and ducts as

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well as the plenum should be so designed that noise gets adequately reduced so as to be
within the permissible limits.
PROPERTIES OF AN AUDITORIUM
▪ These are reception and viewing angles obtained from spectators’ psychological
perception and viewing angles, as well as required for good view from all seats.
Head movement should be according to following:-
• 30°- no movement
• 60°- slight movement
• 110°- more eye movement
• 360°-full head and shoulder
• Movement

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SIZE AND SHAPE OF THE AUDITORIM
▪ the size should be fixed in the relation to the audience required to be seated.
▪ the floor area of the hall including
gangways (excluding the stage) should be calculated on the basis of 0.6 to 0.9 sq.m. per
person.
▪ the height of the hall is determined by such considerations as ventilation, presence (or
absence) of balcony and the type of performance.
AUDITORIUM SEATING
▪ The seats should be arranged in concentric arcs of circles drawn with the center located
as much behind the center of the curtain line as its distance from the auditorium rear wall.

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STAGGERED SEATING
▪ Important factors in the auditorium design are clear and unobstructed sight lines to the
screen being one of the controlling factors.
▪ To provide best visibility from any seat, no patron should sit exactly in front of any other
patron.
▪ Staggering is an accomplished by the non- uniform placement of seats varying width in
succeeded rows.
Seating capacity:
▪ it depends on the format selected.
Length of rows:
▪ max. no. of seats per aisle. 25 seats per aisle is permissible if one side exit door of 1m
width is provided per 3-4 rows.
Exit, escape routes:
▪ 1m wide per 150 people (min. width 0.8m)

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FLOOR PROPERTIES
▪ For good visibility as also for good listening conditions, the successive rows of seats have
to be raised over the preceding ones with the results that the floor level rises towards the
rear.
▪ The elevation is based on the principles that each listener shall be elevated with respect to
the person immediately in front of him so that the listener’s head is about 12cm above the
path of sound which would pass over the head of the person in front of him. it is possible
to reduce this to 8 cm, if the seats are staggered.
▪ As an empirical rule the angle of elevation of the inclined floor in an auditorium should
not be less than 8 degrees.

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STAGE PROPERTIES
the size of the stage depend upon the type of performance the hall is to cater for. it
would be large for theatres, while it would be comparatively small for cinema
halls which again depends on the size of the screen.

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SIGHT LINES
a sight line or visual axis is a normally unobstructed line of sight between an
intended observer (or spectator) and a stage, arena, or monuments.
for example- sightlines are a particularly important consideration in theatre and
stadium design, road junction layout and urban planning.
in cities such as London, construction within sightlines is restricted to protect the
key views of the famous landmarks.

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WALL PROPERTEIS
Rear wall
the auditorium rear walls should be either flat or convex in shape.
this should not be concave in shape, but where it cannot be avoided, the acoustical
design shall indicate either the surface to be splayed or convex corrugations given in
order to avoid any tendency for the sound to focus into the hall.
Side wall
where the side walls are non-parallel as in the case of a fan-shaped hall, the walls may
remain reflective and may be architecturally finished in any manner required, if sound
absorbing materials is not required from other considerations.
where the side walls are parallel they may be left untreated to a length of about 7.5 m
from the proscenium end. in addition, any of the surfaces, likely to cause a delayed echo
or flutter echo should be appropriately treated with a sound absorbing material. difference
between the direct path and the reflected path reflected from aide wall, shall not exceeded
15 m.
CINEMA HALL

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BACKSTAGE
the area of the theatre not open to the public, where the performance is prepared.  it
mainly includes green room with attached toilets, rehearsal rooms, workshops and a store
room.
its size is based on the scale of stage and how many performances have to be
accommodated.

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SERVICES IN AUDITORIUM
stage lighting
light control
curtain system- motorized and vertical system
cyclorama screen
dimmers
escape and exit route
parking
circulation
air conditioning
FIRE PROTECTION
stage fire protection
a fire curtain or water curtain is to be provided to contain smoke/fire within the stage.
the fire curtain is required to be designed and installed to prevent a glow from a fire
being visible to the audience.
the curtain is required to be activated by rate of rise heat detectors operated at a
temperature of 15 to 20 f per minute(9 to 11 c per minute) and by manual operation.
sprinklers
sprinklers are required to be provided under a roof. if galleries over the stage are more
than 4 feet in width, the sprinklers must be provided over the stage.
it is noted that these requirements are not required for the stages in which the stage area
is 1000 sq. ft. (93 sq.m.) or less, the stage height is 50 ft or less, and curtains, scenery, or
other combustible hangings are not retractable vertically.
FIRE AND LIFE SAFETY PROPERTIES:
notification systems, lighting and signage are required to facilitate safe and speedy
evaluations during an emergency in the auditorium spaces. step lights recessed into side
walls are typical. sprinklers should be provided per code and under stage platforms to
suppress fires.
RAISED FLOOR
the recommended system for distribution of havoc in auditorium space is ducted supply
through floor vents with ducted ceiling return air vents in auditorium and lobby. in other
spaces, ducted ceiling supply with return air ceiling plenum is recommended. note that
there should be transfer ducts at all acoustically rated partitions
STAGE VENTILATION

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the requirements with regard to stage ventilation for stages greater than 50 ft. in height or
larger in area than 1000 sq. ft. are as follows:
natural means of exhaust
two or more roof vents are required to be provided.
aggregate clear area of the opening is to be no less than 5% of the stage area.
vents are required to be located near the center and above the highest part of the stage
area.
the vents are to be activated by heat-activated devices and by the manual means.
mechanical means of exhaust
a mechanical exhaust system is to be activated by the operation of sprinkler system.
protecting the stage and manual means that are readily accessible to the fire department.
a smoke layer must be maintained at greater than 6 ft. above the highest level of the
seating or maintained above the top of the proscenium opening.
SOUND INSULATION MATERIALS USED IN AUDITORIUM
the materials generally used may be broadly classified into the following categories:
acoustic plaster( a plaster which includes granulated insulation material with cement)
compressed cane or wood fiberboard, unperforated and perforated.
wood particle board
compressed wood woo. mineral/glass wall quits and mats
mineral/compressed glass wool tiles
composite units of perforated board(hardboard, asbestos board or mental sheet) backed
by mineral or glass wool quilt or slab.
special absorbers constructed of hardboard, teak ply, etc. backed by air.

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SOUND INSULATION
a high quality acoustical treatment offers clarity to the original sound thus the quality of
sound remains uniform throughout the auditorium and every audience sitting there get to
hear the best quality sound regardless of his or her seating location.
use of acoustical panel for soundproofing of auditorium
soundproofing in an auditorium can be obtained by wall and ceiling sound panels.
Acoustical panel offer great results by absorbing the reflections and echoes within the
auditorium, thus producing the better quality of sound.
another soundproofing product that is diffusion panel can also provide a great deal of
help in dispersing the reflected sound waves to bring out a balance among the live and
dead spots in the room.

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