Showmen's Trade Review (Oct-Dec 1948)

Architects Council Report: Every Auditorium Should Have Exits Alongside the Screen Architects Discuss Number, Location and Width of Exit Doors, Width of Fire Escapes and Stairs, Needed in Proportion to Size of Theatre Every theatre, even the smallest, needs an exit or exits at the front of the auditorium in addition to the doors at the rear, in the opinion of the majority of the Architects Advisory Council. The minority confine their dissent to extremely small auditoriums, feeling that front exit can be omitted in theatres with very few seats. The largest theatre that any member of the minority would exempt from the necessity for screen-end exits would have only 400 seats; while one member of the minority would install a front exit in any auditorium seating more than 150. The general theme of the Council meeting this month was exits and fire escapes, how many are needed, how wide they should be and where located; and the discussion brought out very clearly the enormous discrepancy in local codes in these matters. Not only do different cities have different requirements, but they calculate differently. For example: one member finds that additional exits must be provided along the side of the orchestra floor, as well as front and rear, if the seating capacity is more than 600; while another finds that this is not a matter of seating capacity at all but of distances; that main floor exits should be so located that no patron is more than 150 feet from one. And where the basis of calculation is identical, the discrepancy in requirements may be as great as 2 to 1. Thus, one member finds that the total width of all exit doors (including lobby doors) must equal 40 inches per 100 patrons; while another needs only 20 inches per 100 patrons. It would appear, from the results of this month's Council meeting, either that some communities impose needlessly severe requirements or else that others are too lax. Perhaps both extremes exist. At any rate, the reader may be interested in comparing the requirements set forth below with those of his own local code; and possibly in making representations to his local authorities if he finds any very large discrepancies between their rules and the general trend. Ratio of Exits to Capacity Following are a few representative opinions with respect to the number of exits (other than the lobby) that a theatre should have in proportion to the number of seats. "For more than 600 people, at least 2 exits; for more than 1,000 at least three exits." (In addition to the lobby, of course.) "A minimum of two additional exits in any theatre." "One exit with a width of 22 inches per 125 seats for a theatre of 600 seats or less. Two or more such exits in larger houses. All located in the front half of the auditorium." "One additional exit for each 250 seats." (This is the most common requirement, and is cited by a plurality of the members participating.) COUNCIL MEMBERSHIP ROGER ALLEN. Grand Rapids Nat'l Bank Bldg., Grand Rapids, Mich. LEONARD ASHEIM. 5 Sheldon Terrace. New Haven, Conn. MYLES E. BELONGIA, 611 N. Broadway. Milwaukee 2, Wise. ARMAND CARROLL, Armand Carroll & Wm. J. Stephenson, 262 S. 15th St., Philadelphia, Pa. HORACE G. COOK, RD No. 2, Dallas, Pa. GEORGE L. DAHL, 1920V2 Main St., Dallas, Tex. COLLINS C. DIBOLL, Diboll-Kessels & Associates, Baronne Bldg., New Orleans 12, La. DREW EBERSON, John & Drew Eberson, 2 W. 47th St., New York 19, N. Y. LEON M. EINHORN, Einhorn & Toole, 93 State St., Albany 7, N. Y. HUGH GIBBS, 441 E. 1st St., Long Beach 2. Calif. HUGO K. GRAF. 2825 Olive St., St. Louis, Mo. ROLAND TIP HARRISON. Wetherell & Harrison, Shops Bldg., Des Moines, la. WALTER HESSE, Bloch & Hesse, 18 E. 41st St., New York, N. Y. TALMADGE C. HUGHES, 120 Madison Ave., Detroit 26, Mich. KARL KAMRATH. Mackie & Kamrath, 2713 Ferndale PI., Houston 6, Tex. W. H. LEE. 732 Commercial Trust Bldg., 16 S. Broad St., Philadelphia, Pa. FRED J. MACKIE. JR., Mackie & Kamrath, 2713 Ferndale PL, Houston 6, Tex. MERLE ROBERT MAFFIT. F. & Y. Building Service, 328 E. Town St., Columbus 15, O. R. W. NAEF, 536 Eastview St., lackson 26, Miss. URBAN F. PEACOCK, 1012 N. 3rd St., Milwaukee 3, Wise. CARL W. SCHUBERT, Boyum, Schubert & Sorensen, Hoeschler Bldg., La Crosse, Wise. RAYMOND B. SPENCER, First Nat l Bank Bldg., Memphis, Tenn. BERNARD B. SPIGEL, Dickson Bldg., Nor folk, Va. HAROLD SPITZNAGEL, Sioux Falls, S. Dak. ROBERT LAW WEED, 1527 DuPont Bldg., Miami 32, Fla. It will be noted that only one mention is made above of the required width of the exit. The required total width of all means of egress, including lobby doors, in proportion to the number of seats, varies greatly — as already noted as much as 2 to 1 in different communities. However, the general trend is 20-22 inches total exit width for each 100 seats; the dimensions cited by the majority of the members fall within that bracket. Others include: "Six feet for the first 300 seats; one additional inch for each six additional seats." "For fire resistive construction, 36 inches per 100 seats; for ordinary construction, 40 inches and for frame construction 44 inches per 100 seats." "In all cases, one standard 40-inch exit for each 100 seats." The Importance of Location The majority of the Councilors find that means of egress should be provided at the front or screen end of the orchestra floor, regardless of the size of theatre; with respect to the balcony, however, there is no similar level of agreement. "If there are enough exits along the side and at the rear of the balcony, it is never necessary to have one at the front." "Main exits of 24 inches per 100 seats, minimum width 60 inches, in any case; emergency exits 22 inches per 100 seats but minimum width of 36 inches in any case — no specific location required." "Balconies of over 300 seats need an exit at the front as well as the rear." "There should be two exits well separated in all cases." "Two exit doors at opposite sides of the balcony to each 300 seats or fraction thereof, each door 40 inches wide." "At least two exits, regardless of location or seating capacity." "The smallest balcony should have at least two exits." Following are some representative opinions with respect to the need for additional exits at the rear of the raised portion of a stadium-design theatre. "Two emergency exits, one at each side, regardless of the number of seats." "Rear exits needed if the raised portion of the stadium theatre contains more than 200-250 seats." "This is not a matter of seats, but of distances; exits should be so located that it is not necessary to ascend more than 10 feet or descend more than six feet to reach a stair or area of refuge." "One exit door, 40 inches wide, at each side, for each 300 seats or fraction thereof, (Continued on Page E-23)