Motion Picture Herald (Nov-Dec 1948)

Practical Planning Between The Street and the Auditorium What the average theatre needs for traffic-lounge functions, and what can be done to adapt those needs to economical construction. By BEN SCHLANCER Theatre Architect & Consultant IN THEATRE DESIGN there is always the preliminary problem of how much of the total available space to allow in the theatre building for purposes beyond those of the actual performance. It is of course desirable, for economic reasons, to keep this area at a minimum. The whole plan must, of course, be functionally efficient, with all requirements taken care of adequately. There are too many instances where the space allowance is more than liberal, but nevertheless, through poor planning, there is actually what appears to be a lack of space. In some of these instances the liberal use of space was intended to impress the patron by sheer scale, but in most situations an intimate atmosphere is desirable. If the building code authorities consider the entrance to the theatre the most important emergency exit, as many of them do, then there may be code requirements which call for entrances relatively wide. Actually, for every-day functioning, without considering emergency exiting, or at least theoretically, one set of doors would suffice for entry purposes. It has been supposed in the past that most people in an emergency will tend to flock to the place of original entry. It is entirely possible that with the higher levels of illumination in the auditorium, and emergency lighting systems and ample separate emergency exits well distributed in the auditorium, there would not be the need for as many doors at the entrance as have been thought necessary. Since the total aggregate width of entrance doors influences the width of the lobby; and since all portions of the lobby that form a clear path of travel equal in width to the width of all of the entrance doors, must be kept clear of all encumbrances, it is important to make a sensible decision in determining the entrance width. It is understood that in any case the building code governing theatre construction should be adhered to strictly. Where such a code does not exist, it is advisable to comply with the building code of the National Board of Fire Underwriters. Some local authorities require you to follow other codes when they themselves do not have an adequate code ; in these instances it would be opportune to endeavor to have them accept the Fire Underwriters code, which is national in scope and a well thought out set of rules. Another building code worth referring to is the Uniform Building Code of the Pacific Coast Building Officials Conference. After determining the space for the entrance and exit requirements at the street end of the theatre, we have four other functions to provide for in the approaches to the auditorium. They are ( 1 ) ticket selling, (2) merchandising, (3) exploitation, and (4) toilet and foyer space. Efficient planning becomes more important now because the space requirements for these four functions have expanded for modern theatre operation. One of the important reasons for an outside ticket booth facing the street must have been the advantage of using the sidewalk for patrons waiting to purchase tickets. The argument that more tickets would be sold from such a position must have been one of convenience rather than accuracy, although there may be some justification for an outside ticket office where the theatre caters to highly transient patronage. There should be sheltered space for patrons waiting in line to purchase tickets. Assuming that the line can be in pairs, there should be approximately one foot of (Continued on page 35) t OF AUDITORIUM-^J OUT^ "B" I LAST ROW OF SEATS foy'er merchandising. REST ROOMS {__ ^TICKETS ti^* OUT l"A" t STREET INDOOR LINE-UP Allocation of space functions outside the auditorium. Scheme "A" has minimum front exits of some codes. Scheme "B" is for fewer front exits. 28 BETTER THEATRES, DECEMBER 18, 1948