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Author
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Topic: Auditorium dimensions
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Paul Sturtz
Film Handler
Posts: 4
From: Columbia, MO, USA
Registered: Dec 2001
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posted 07-17-2005 04:24 PM
I'm sure this isn't the first time someone's asked something similar to this, but....
We're about to carve out a two-screen theater out of an old Coca Cola bottling factory from 1937. We'll also be integrating a couple of other businesses in the building -- a bakery/cafe/bar and a video store. The goal is to get at least a 125-seat theater and a 60-seat theater for hold-overs (I know my size ambitions don't sound too grand but the building will be only around 7,000 sq. feet on the ground level even after we expand it 1,000 sq. feet with a tall ceiling for the big auditorium) I'll probably go for used seating with cupholders because we serve beer and wine, and will be serving food as well. The floor will be sloped.
1. What are the ideal dimensions (width, depth, height) for an auditorium? I've heard 1:1.55: 0.67 Is the ideal to have a rectangle that's not too narrow?
2. Also, what formula do you use for seats/sq. feet? I'm working with around 1 seat/15 sq. feet to allow for aisles, front of the theater, and generous row spacing.
Thanks, all -- you are a remarkably knowledgeable bunch. This is my first posting so be easy on me if I did something wrong.
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John Walsh
Film God
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Posts: 2490
From: Connecticut, USA, Earth, Milky Way
Registered: Oct 1999
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posted 07-18-2005 08:19 AM
An architect is really the only person who can give you 'real' suggestions on how to divide up the space. This should be fairly easy, since he can just re-arrange things on a CAD system, and display the results. Sometimes, it's amazing anything can be made after getting everyone to agree on a design.
That said, you probably don't want auditorium dimensions that are exactly some multiple; ie, you don't want 50' wide by 100' long because there may be some wave issue causing reverberations. 1.55 seems too close to that. This problem can be reduced with sound deading material, but it's better not to create the problem in the first place. To have one side of the auditorium 'boxed out' for a closet or to fit in another room would make for uneven EQ problems. Tall ceilings mean bigger speakers and amps. When you and your architect have settled on a prelimnary layout, you might want to consult an acoustial engineer.
I've seen 38" to 42" back-to-back seat spacing, but can you afford to loose many seats?
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