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Auditorium Design Procedure

There are three main factors to consider in auditorium design: audience size, the range of performances, and audience sophistication. Key design parameters include seating capacity, reverberation times tailored to different performance types, ceiling height, typical room dimensions, stage size, and wall/ceiling shapes. The recommended design procedure is to consider the site location, integrate the space with the building, determine intended uses, calculate volume and reverberation times, analyze sound reflections, check background noise levels, design the stage and sound system, and consider including balconies.

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Preyo Darshan
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192 views

Auditorium Design Procedure

There are three main factors to consider in auditorium design: audience size, the range of performances, and audience sophistication. Key design parameters include seating capacity, reverberation times tailored to different performance types, ceiling height, typical room dimensions, stage size, and wall/ceiling shapes. The recommended design procedure is to consider the site location, integrate the space with the building, determine intended uses, calculate volume and reverberation times, analyze sound reflections, check background noise levels, design the stage and sound system, and consider including balconies.

Uploaded by

Preyo Darshan
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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AUDITORIUM DESIGN PROCEDURE 1

Auditorium Design Procedure

Dash Preyo Darshan

American International University-Bangladesh


AUDITORIUM DESIGN PROCEDURE 2

Auditorium Design Factors

There are three different types of auditorium design factors such as Audience size, Range

of performance activities and Audience sophistication. Auditorium design parameters are

Audience size, Reverberation, Ceiling Height, Typical Dimensions, Stage opening, Shape of the

Wall and ceilings. The audience size(floor area) should be 6-8 sf/seat. The Reverberation

(volume) are based on Motion picture theater, Lecture Hall, Music Room, Auditorium,

Symphony Hall, Choral Rehearsal, Band Rehearsal. Ceiling Height is based on a rule, Ceiling

Height=Volume/ Floor Area. Typical Dimensions is a ratio of L:W:H=2H:1.5H:H. Stage

Opening is 40-50’ wide x 25’ high. Shape walls and Ceilings source is 5’ from stage front, 5’

above stage floor and trace reflectance’s from back wall, side walls, and ceiling at 40-60’ from

stage.
AUDITORIUM DESIGN PROCEDURE 3

Suggested Auditorium design procedure is Site Consideration, Location Within Building,

Space Use, Volume, Reverberation time, Ray Diagram Analysis, Background Noise Level, Stage

Enclosure, Sound Reinforced System, Balcony Consideration. Place the auditorium on a quiet

exposure, far away from highways, flight paths, etc. Use corridors, closets and quiet ‘buffer’

spaces to isolate the auditorium, No adjacent rehearsal rooms or mechanical equipment rooms

under the stage, Avoid occupancy above the auditorium, All doors should be solid-core and

casketed around their entire perimeter, Avoid sliding or roll-up doors, Treat corridors and lobbies

with generous amount of sound absorbing materials. Lectures, dramas, orchestras, performance,

etc., Consequently, a full-frequency response sound system will be required. In an auditorium,

with upholstered seats and a sound-absorbing rear wall for echo control, the average ceiling

height H is usually about 20T; where T=mid frequency reverberation time in seconds, Check the

chart for the preferred reverberation time in high school auditoriums, Preliminary shape can be

based on architectural considerations; and seating geometry can be arranged to give all the

audience good sigh lines (e.g., elevated seating layouts) as well as to minimize the distance to the

performing area. Use sabine equation T= 0.05 V/a at 125, 500, and 4000 Hz, This is the formula

generally used by the measurement laboratories, Published absorption data on most building

materials are intended for use in this formula, The following general guidelines can be used to

select finish materials. The mid frequency reverberation time T should be in the range of 1.5 to

1.8 sec, The reverberation time at 125 Hz should be about 1.4T and at 4000 Hz about 0.8T to

give overall fullness and warmth of music. Use ray diagram graphics to properly orient the

ceiling and side walls, especially near the proscenium, so they will provide useful sound

reflection ( i.e., reflections with less than 34 ft difference from the direct sound path), Avoid

vaults and domes. Have to check NC level for auditoriums and adjacent spaces, The mechanical
AUDITORIUM DESIGN PROCEDURE 4

system must meet the criteria by controlling air speeds at room registers, and by using internal

sound absorbing duct lining and/or mufflers to prevent duct-borne noise in both the supply and

the return air systems. Shape for good distribution and diffusion, The stage house reverberation

should be approximately equal to that of the auditorium, The orchestra pit, sized at about 20sq ft

per musician, should have a removable sound absorbing curtain along its rear wall. Provide a

central space just above and in front of the proscenium opening with line of sight to all seats for

the sound system’s cluster coverage pattern, The height of the proscenium opening ( i.e., about

20 to 30 ft at the front of the stage) is generally determined by the need for a stage enclosure,

The sound system control console should be located at the rear of the auditorium in a control

room which can be opened to the main space by mean of an operable plate-glass port, It is

important that the system operator be able to hear the sound he is controlling. Use balconies to

increase seating capacity and /or to reduce the distance to the farthest row of seats.

References

acoustics_lec_12 by Farah Zaki, Lecturer, Department of Architecture, American International

University-Bangladesh.
AUDITORIUM DESIGN PROCEDURE 5

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