An auditorium is a room built to allow an audience to hear and see performances in places such as theaters. For cinemas, the number of auditoriums is expressed as the number of screens. Audit can be found at entertainment venues, community rooms and theaters, and can be used for rehearsal, presentation, performing arts productions, or as a learning space.
Structure of the auditorium
Audience in a modern theater is generally separated from performers by the proscenium arch, although other types of stage are common.
The price charged for seats in each part of the auditorium (known in the industry as the house) usually varies according to the quality of the stage view. Seating areas may include some or all of the following:
Stops, orchestra or arena: the lower flat area, usually below or at the same level as the stage.
Balconies or galleries: one or more raised seating platforms towards the rear of the auditorium. In larger theaters, multiple levels are stacked vertically above or behind the stalls. The first level is usually called the dress circle or the grand circle. The highest platform, or upper circle is sometimes known as the Gods, especially in large opera houses, where the seats can be very high and a long distance from the stage.
Boxes: usually placed immediately to the front, side and above the stage level. There are often separate rooms with an open viewing area that usually only a handful of people. These seats are generally considered the most prestigious in the house. Sometimes a state box or real box for dignitaries is provided.
Seating Arrangements: Seating arrangements in an auditorium seating design (or meeting space) will be identified as "multiple aisle" or "continental". These terms are commonly found in design standards manuals, building codes and similar architectural reference documents. Each size is unique, with specific guidelines that govern row size, row spacing, and output paths. Basically, a multi-aisle layout will have a maximum of 14-16 chairs per row with access to a hallway at both ends. In a continental layout, all seats are located in a central section. Here the maximum number of chairs per row can greatly exceed the limits set in a multi-aisle arrangement. To compensate for the longer length of allowed rows, building codes will require more row spacing, wider corridors, and strategically located exit doors. Although it appears that more space is needed, a continental seating plan is often no less efficient than a multi-aisle arrangement. In fact, if carefully planned, a continental arrangement can often accommodate more seating within the same space.