Auditoriums

Introduction
Auditorium an enclosure covered or open where people can assemble for watching a performance given on the stage . basically ,in a place of enjoyment and recreation one of the most important building for reducing the stern in todays life.In this modern age as scientific technology in developing more and living standards becoming so high , as it become important that the building should not only fulfill the practical and functional requirement but also should awake the aesthetic and emotional sense of the beholder. This generation the need evolve the guidelines for comfort conditions which can be achieved by lighting applications, acoustical treatment , sitting arrangements and sevices .

Planning
Every member of the audience should have an unobstructed view of entire stage ,without visual and physical distortion
The auditorium should be suitable for sound reproduction and free from distortion . There should be a reasonable balance between : viewing condition , seating condition and circulation requirement The number of seats determines the no. of exits to be provided ,foyers and other amenities must be proportionality arranged

Viewing Conditions
The size and the position of the stage must relate to the size and shape of the auditorium The distance of the stage from the 1st row shall be minimum 2/3rd of the stage width. The maximum distance of sitting from stage is recon-mended as 5 times the width of the stage.

The overall length of rear sitting should be 3.0 times the width of stage.
The first row of seats should not be closer to the stage .

Volume
The volume provided in the hall is such that each person is provided a space of about 3.75 to 4.5 cu.m.per person. Ratio of h:w:l is 1:2:3 for the approximate 800 to 1000 capacity of Size depend upon the seating capacity , shape of the auditorium depends upon the acoustical requirement.

Walls

Rear wall may be curved or straight. The difference in shape of the auditorium ,thus lies in the pattern of the sidewalls, they may be rectangular or parabolic. The rear wall does not follow the line of curvature of the last seating row

Ceiling
The ceiling of the auditorium is not provided as a flat horizontal surface as this type of ceiling causes uneven distribution of sound and creates flutter and echoes. This ceiling is applicable up to 400ppl.e. Splayed ceiling with splays rising towards rear reinforced the rear seats. Ceilings are principally sound disturbing surface and need no sound absorbing material, if properly designed.

Sitting
CAPACITY In modern auditorium with seat spaced minimum 90 cm back to back , the toral area of the auditorium is sq.m divided by 1.05 will give seating capacity . SITTING ARRANGMENT

Back to back spacing between two rows shall be 0.9 to 1.0 allows 0.45 moving space b/w two rows .
To avoid physical discomfort , occurs when vertical viewing angle to top of stage is exceeding 35 deg or the lateral viewing angle to centerline of the stage exceed 15 deg. To compensate for this excessive lateral viewing angles the seat rows should be angled or curved.

Dimensions of seats Minimum width of seat with armrest shall be 50 cm.

Without armrest 40 cm. Minimum back to back distance between roes of seats shall not be less than 90 cm and preferably 100 cm

Minimum riser in floor required = 15 cm.

There should be free access to exit-therefore seating arrangement should be accordingly

In all the cases there shall be an intervening space of at least 43 to 45 cm between the back one seat and the front of the seat immediately measured behind between perpendicular .

Aisles
It depends upon the width of auditorium and no. and width of seating block .
Up to 200 persons single central aisles.

200-500 persons sides of the auditorium

above 500 persons

two aisles at the two

four

maximum no. of seats between two adjacent cross aisles shall not exceed 10 cm.
minimum clear width of the aisle shall be 1.20m.

minimum clear width of the cross shall be 1.50m.

Floor slopes

In design of floor slopes and upper level stepping for cinema theatre seating it is necessary to establish the physical dimensions of the seated person. The floor of auditorium may rise towards rear within the elevation of even 8 deg to 10 deg , leaving level floor for first few row seats.

Balcony When large seating is required, balcony is necessary, to avoid

the excessive viewing distance that would otherwise develop The height between the floor of auditorium and floor of balcony shall not be less than 3.0m. The floor of the highest part of the balcony and lowest part of ceiling over it shall not less than 3.5m. The riser provided in the balcony shall not be less than 19.0m. The rear most seat on balcony shall not make an angle less than 60 deg with screen Length of the balcony shall be maximum 1/3rd of the total length of the auditorium.

Acoustical Treatment To attain these design conditions, all of the exposed wall, floor ,
and ceiling surfaces must be addressed and acoustically treated as either reflective or absorptive. The design must also exercise care in the selection of upholstery fabrics , curtains, draperies, and seating, as these materials could provide excess sound absorption and create deadness In the room . resonators or hollow cavities within the room configuration must be avoided or specifically designed as they represent another method of absorption.Reflecting panels are added within the auditorium to enhance the room acoustics. these panels provide multiple functions within an auditorium . they act to reflect the natural sound of the performance into the audience. They add to the diffusion of sound as well as dissipate any potential standing waves or echoes.

A 3/8-inch thick plywood panel ,weighing 0.9 psf and spaced 1 inch from a wall surface, has a resonant frequency of 179 Hz and thereby provides selective sound absorption at this frequency . A 1-inch thick structo-base plaster panel , weight of 10 psf ,located 6 inches from a rigid wall has a resonant or natural frequency of 22 Hz and therefore is an excellent material to reflect sounds above this frequency . Thus ,a reflector panel should have sufficient mass so that its resonant frequency will be lower than the range of frequencies of programmed material.