AMPHITHEATRE

An amphitheatre is an open-air venue used for entertainment, performances, and sports

History
Ancient Roman amphitheatres were major public venues, circular or oval in plan,
with perimeter seating tiers. They were used for events such as gladiator combats,
chariot races, venations (animal hunts) and executions. About 230 Roman
amphitheatres have been found across the area of the Roman Empire. Their typical
shape, functions and name distinguish them from Roman theatres, which are more
or less semi-circular in shape; from the circuses (akin to hippodromes) whose much
longer circuits were designed mainly for horse or chariot racing events and from
the smaller stadia, which were primarily designed for athletics and footraces.

Modern
In modern usage, an amphitheatre is a circular, semicircular or curved, acoustically
vibrant performance space, particularly one located outdoors. Contemporary
amphitheatres often include standing structures, called bandshells, sometimes
curved or bowl-shaped, both behind the stage and behind the audience, creating an
area which echoes or amplifies sound, making the amphitheatre ideal for musical or
theatrical performances. Small-scale amphitheaters can serve to host outdoor local
community performances.

Seating

Fixed writing surface and tip up seat

Fixed seat and tip up writing surface

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Seating density, from 0.38m to 1.05m per person

Fixed writing surface, individual pivoting seats, section and plan

Designated wheelchair area with dimensions

Plan of a box designed for a wheelchair plus loose chairs

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Stage and Seating Layout

Curved rows on flat or sloping floor

Open stage and theatre in the round layouts

Straight rows on flat or sloping floor

Straight rows with separate angled side blocks on flat or sloping floor

Separated stepped blocks focused on stage

Straight stepped rows and separated angled side blocks

Proscenium layout
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Lightings

Auditorium lighting bridge at ceiling level

Traditional balcony front incorporating shelf below handrail and adequate legroom

Projection angles

Projection criteria for 16mm film

Projection criteria for 35mm film

Projection criteria for 70mm film

Section through lecture theatre showing platform and front wall arrangement
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Section through projection room at rear of auditorium (projecting slides)

Back projection of slides using mirrors

Back projection for slides

Dressing Room

Communal dressing room, area of each bay 8.3m

Dressing room for four, area 17.4m

A pair of single dressing rooms each 14.4m

Section through hanging space

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Different layout for different function

For orchestral and choral music

For drama

For opera, dance and musicals

For conferences

Jazz, pop, and rock music

For Cinema

Stage layout and Cross section of stage

Stage layout and dimensions for a medium size theatre without fly tower

Cross section showing rear stage

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Distance between seating and screen

Flat panel screen size vs seating distance

Display size width
Seating Distance (mm)
(mm)
x2.0
x2.5
x3.0
700
1400
1750
2100
1000
2000
2500
3000
1100
2200
2750
3300
1200
2400
3000
3600
1300
2600
3250
3900
Front projector screen size vs seating distance
Display size width
Seating Distance (mm)
(mm)
x1.5
x2.0
x2.5
1600
2400
3200
4000
1800
2700
3600
4500
2000
3000
4000
5000
2200
3300
4400
5500
2500
3750
5000
6250
2600
3900
5200
6500

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Design Criteria
Maximum distance for audience from the front of
the open stage( with spoken voice)
Minimum distance for audience from the front of
the open stage( with spoken voice)
Minimum width of seat without arms
Minimum unobstructed aisle width
Horizontal distance on bench per person
Minimum clearance between each row

Dimension(mm)
20000
4000
450
1080
450
750

Amphitheatre layout option 1

Amphitheatre layout option 2

Amphitheatre layout option 3

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Cafes and Restaurants

Overview

Dining Area

Caf and restaurants consists of dining area, kitchen

area, toilet and other operation function space. Different
type of operation require different total area of the eatery .
Diagram below shows plan of a typical unit of small caf.

Requirements of dining area space will be vary followed by

location , type of operation , clientele , frequency of deliveries
of supplies , kind of food used , such as fresh, frozen , or
canned , and the completeness of processing to be done will
cause variation in production and storage requirements.
Adequacy of space will influence building and operating costs
And efficiency. When space is too small, labor time and effort
Are likely to increase and the volume maintenance costs will be

Some general information will assist in deciding dining area

needs , for example numbers to be served, turnover rate ,
arrival rate and type of service provided

excessive.

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The patrons size and type and quality of service should be considered for
Type of Operation
Cafeteria, commercial
Cafeterial, college and industrial
Cafeteria, school lunchroom
College residence, table service
Counter service
Table service, hotel, club restaurant
Table service, minimum eating
Banquet, minimum

Square feet per seat

16-18
12-15
9-12
12-15
18-20
15-18
11-14
10-11

patrons space requirements.

Square feet of seat used for various type of operation

The total number of persons to be seated at one time,

multiplied by the space required for each seat , will obtain the
total number of square feet needed in the dining area.

Crowding is more acceptable in low-cost, quick-serve units.

, some general information can also assist in deciding dining area

Patrons enjoy having sufficient elbow room and

needs, for example numbers to be served, turnover rate, arrival rate

enough space so that dishes of food and beverage are not crowded. The

and type of service provided.

optimum and minimum place settings for individual is shown in the

The dining area is usually determined first followed by the production

diagram above.

Areas in terms of specific relationship to the dining area.

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Seating arrangements will directly influence the capacity of the dining area.
For instance, by using the same type and size of tables and chair . Noticed
that when tables are arranged in diagonal form , it will save up to 35% of
space compared to rectangular form . Besides, diagonal arrangement of square
tables utilizes space better than rectangular arrangement and yields a more
trouble free traffic lane.

Parallel arrangement of tables

Diagonal arrangement of tables

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Closest table spacing

Closest seating layout

Tables in a caf

In an alcove

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Banquette seating

36-IN (91.4-cm) Diameter breakfast

/Kitchen Table for four

60-IN (152.4-cm) Diameter circular

table for four /Optimum seating

Banquette seating / Service and passage claearance

Requirements

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Minimum Clearances of Dining Space

Minimum clearances behind chair in place

Minimum clearances behind extended chair

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Minimum clearance for two behind extended chair

Service aisle clearances

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Booth seating

Service aisle / clearance between table corners

Service aisle/ Clearance between tables

Booth Seating and Circulation Clearances

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Access for Wheelchair

Booth seating

Wheelchair clearances

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Bar counter / Lunch counters

Wheelchair circulation

In areas where many tend to dine alone , lunch counter or

tables for two can be used

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Bar and back bar

Bar section

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Lunch counter

Kitchen

Kitchens serving a smaller number require a larger square

footage per meal than those serving a large number. The
following data used for industrial cafeterias show the rate at
which space needs per meal tend to decrease as the number
served increases.
Lunch counter

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Meal load

Square feet per meal

Variation in square feet

100-200
200-400

5.00
4.00

500-1000
800-1600

400-800

3.50

1400-2800

800-1300
1300-2000

3.00
2.50

2400-3900
3250-5000

2000-3000
3000-5000

2.00
1.85

4000-6000
5500-9250

Typical kitchen layout

Variation in space needs in relation to number served

Estimated maximum meals per hour
Type of
facility
Cafeteria

200 or less

200-400

400-800

800-1300

1300-1750

7.5-5.0

5.0-4.0

4.0-3.5

3.5-3.0

3.0-1.8

Corridor kitchen

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L shape kitchen

U shape kitchen

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Counter and Base Cabinets/

General clearance

Cabinet reach comparisons

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Sink Center

28

Range center

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Toilet

Others

Store size can be decided

according to type of operation

Dining
places
50
50-200
200-400
400

WCs
gents
1
2
3

WCs
Urinals Channel
ladies
no.
(m)
1
2
2
2
4
3
4
6
4
-decision for each case-

Number of toilet needed can be decided using the table above

Staff room is required for staffs to store

their belongings or take break

Floor area of dining room ( m )

Usable walking width (m)
100
1.10
250
1.30
500
1.65
1000
1.80
>1000
2.10
Staircase width according to floor area of dining room
Floor Area ( m )
Ceiling Height (m)
50
2.50
>50
2.75
>100
3.00
Above/below galleries
2.50
Ceiling height according to floor area
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BATHROOM/TOILET
Typical toilet layout plan normally consists of male toilet, female toilet, disabled toilet and also janitor room.

Male Toilet

Male toilet normally consist of water closet, urinal and hand basin.

Female Toilet

Female toilet normally consist of water closet and hand basin only.

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Hand Basin Clearance

The hand basin should be at 600mm x 600mm size and 950mm apart from each basin.
The activity zone for the user is minimum 950mm x 450mm.
The circulation zone for user behind the activity zone can be 750mm.

Hand basin clearance and activity zone dimensions for user.

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Adult / Kid Hand Basin Height

The optimum height for kid basin can be 650mm and optimum width can be 450mm.
The optimum height for adult basin can be 900mm and optimum width can be 600mm.

Basin height for kids.

Basin height for adults.

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Water Closet Clearance

The optimum height for water closet is about 400mm and the optimum width can be 600mm.
The optimum length of activity zone in front of the WC is 600mm.

Water closet clearance and activity zone dimensions.

Urinal Clearance
The optimum activity zone for user in front of urinal is 700mm x 450mm.
The urinal normally is 300mm width and 700mm apart from each other.

Urinal clearance and activity zone dimensions for user.

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Disabled Toilet
Typical disabled toilet layout plan normally consists of water closet and hand basin.
The door must be at least 1200mm wide for wheelchair circulation.

Hand Basin Clearance

The hand basin for disabled should be at 600mm x 600mm size and 850mm high.
The activity zone for the disabled is minimum 1200mm.

Standard dimension for wheelchair near basin.

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Water Closet Clearance

The activity zone for the disabled in the toilet is minimum 1200mm for turning of the wheelchair.

A. User approach wc from the side.

B. Chair armrest is removed and footrestis swung to side for clearance.
For stability and leverage, one hand is placed on wc seat or grab bar
and the other on chair. Transfer movement begins.
C. User lifts, slides, and rotates onto wc seat.
D. Transfer is complete. Body stability is maintained by grasping grab bar
and seat of chair.

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Janitor Room
The janitor room mainly consist of a sink, shelves and cart.
The door of the janitor room is normally 1200mm wide.
The sink can be 600mm x 900mm size.
The shelves are 3 level metal units, with 900mm wide, 1800mm high and 450mm deep.
The shelves must be adjustable.
The cart is often 750mm wide by 1200mm long.

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Staircase
There are various type of staircase used in the buildings:

Straight stairs

U shaped stairs ( half

turn stairs/ switchback
stairs/ dog leg stairs)

Spiral stairs

Straight stairs with

central landing

Quarter landing stairs

Curved stairs

L shaped stairs
(quarter turn stairs)

Winder stairs

Ladders

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Staircase Clearance

Below are the examples of optimum length of the steps according to the amount of people.

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Head Clearance and Hand Rail

The optimum head clearance for staircase is 2100mm.
The handrail can be 40mm 50mm thick, 38mm 50mm from the wall and 850mm from the ground.
There are many types of railing for stairs, such as square bars railing and circular bar railing.

Hand railing details.

Head clearance and height of railing.

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Ramp
The ramp for the disabled people can have a minimum slope of 1:16 and maximum slope of 1:12.
The maximum length of the ramp is 9m and after 9m there must be a landing for another flight of ramp.
The width of the ramp is preferred to be 1200mm 1500mm for wheelchair.
The height of the handrail can be 865mm 965mm from the ground.

Overall standard dimension for ramp.

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Types of Ramp
There are many types of ramp specify for different types of disabled people such as canes, walkers, tripod aids, seeing dogs, crutches, safety for the blind and
so on.

Different types of ramps for different types of disabled people.

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BOOKSHOP
Example of layout of bookshop with dimension:

A
C

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A)

Shelf

Space requirement for bookshelves depends on the form of organization, accessibility for users, type of shelves (fixed or mobile), systematic subject
categorization with corresponding display, format separation and construction grid.

Picture beside shows the minimum spacing between

two shelves. The narrowest is 1.3m while the normal
width is 2.3m.

The shelving system is mostly freestanding double shelf units with the height of 2.25m and depth of shelves are between 0.25m and 0.30 m. The capacity of the
shelves depends on the number of shelves per unit.

Picture beside shows the shelf unit and its height.

A: The shelf unit that contain 5 shelves with the
height between 2.25m and 1.80m
B: The shelf height for schoolchildren with the
height not more than 1.7m.

C: The 4 shelves suitable for small children with

height 1.5m or below.
C

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Picture above shows the different type and dimension of each shelf system.
A: It shows the bookshelves for adults which contain 5-6 shelves.
B: It shows the bookshelves for children which contain 4-5 shelves.
C: It shows the magazine rack with the height of 1.98m and width of 1.09m.

MM
A

1680 min.

460 min.

760 min.

910

170

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The picture above shows the book and magazine displays and suggested the
anthropometric considerations involved. The size of the aisle is about 1700mm with
the consideration of both side have people standing parallel to the bookshelf and still
have 760mm circulation zone.
The visibility is more critical for the books and magazines when compare to other general merchandise. The distance between customer and the display, lighting
and angle of sight should be taking into consideration.

The picture on the above shows the data of the

viewing planes related to a viewer of a larger
body and smaller body.

The picture above shows the visual

relationships related to the interior displays.

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MM
A

1680

460

1830

660 - 760

2950 - 3050

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The picture above shows the clearances suggested between counters on opposite sides of a
main aisle. The total clearance suggested is between 297.2cm and 304.8cm. This provide
larger activity zone for both the standing and seating customers on each side, as well as a
generous through circulation lane between the two.

MM
F

760 - 910

460 - 910

460

1300

1680 - 2290

The above picture shows the clearances suggested for a secondary aisle. The clearance in front of
the merchandise case at the left take into consideration a kneeling figure removing merchandise
from a low shelf, while the clearance in front of the case on the right is only a minimum of 45.7cm,
which accommodate a person standing parallel to the case. A restricted minimum of 129.5cm could
be used if one is willing to accept some body contact or sidestepping required.

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B)

Printing Area

The pictures below show the size of different type of Photostat and printing machine.
1.

3.

2.

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C)

Reading Area

Some of the bookshops will provide an area for the customer to reading the book or for them to share the information to each other.

MM
A

710 - 810

380 - 460

710 - 910

840 - 1070

910 - 1220

The arrangement of the arm chair and the coffee table must take into the two considerations:
1. Clearance for circulation between chair and table
2. Reach limitation of the smaller person and the placement of the table
A distance of around 460mm is to allow the leg projection of the seated person and also to accommodate the maximum
body depth of the larger person.
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D)

Counter

MM
E

2130 - 2850

460

460 - 610

760 - 1220

460 - 560

1830

Picture above shows the typical sales and the standing customer. The counter should take in the
consideration of the clerks aisle with circulation and also the customer activity zone and the
circular zone after the customer activity zone.

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E)

Worker Room

The worker room will have the locker facilities provide for the worker to put in their stuff and maybe uniform.
Locker

Type
1 compartment
2 compartment
3 compartment
4 compartment

Function
Spacious storage capacity with hanging rails
Hanging rail and shelf
Large bag storage
Small bag storage

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F)

Office

MM
F

1370 - 1470

740 - 760

2340 - 2740

910

1400 - 1830

910 - 1120

460

460 - 660

The plan above shows the typical workstation expanded into the basic U-shaped configuration. The
workstation zone dimension is between 460mm and 660mm. To allow for the drawer extension of the lateral
file cabinet, additional space is needed. The lateral file cabinet which has the same height as the work
surface can be used to provide more storage and is often used as a supplementary work surface. In order to
allow movement and rotation of the chair, the distance between the cabinet and the primary work surface
must be sufficient.

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OTHER FACILITIES FOR HANDICAPPED

A)

Telephone

MM

MM

1220

910

1220 max.

200 - 300

330 - 510

480

740 min.

810 max.

For public telephones to be accessible to

wheelchair users, dial, coin slot, and
head set should not be more than
1220mm above the ground. For the wallmounted units should provide adequate
space for wheelchair approach parallel to
the front face of the equipment. A
clearance of at least 740mm should be
provided below the telephone unit.

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B)

Refuse Receptacle
MM
A

480

640

1020

1220 - 1370

The top drawings indicate recommended heights for refuse receptacles to serve chairbound and semiambulant users.

C)

Vending Machine
MM
E

760

610 min.

1220 max.

1220

910 max.

Proper location of operating controls and coin

slots is essential if the machines are to serve
handicapped. For the wheelchair user to be
accessible, the controls should be between
610mm and 1220mm above the floor. For a
person in wheelchair, an activity zone of 1070mm
should be provided in front of the machine.

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D)

Water Fountain
MM
B

640

760

910

910 max.

200 min.

480

The drawing above shows the measurements necessary so that a drinking fountain can be accessible to both handicapped and able-bodied people. Some codes
also allow the use of conventional drinking fountain to serve the wheelchair person if it does not exceed 910mm.

E)

Elevator

The picture beside shows the size of the

elevator that can fit both handicapped and
able-bodied people.

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MM
A

460

1220

1370

760

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REFERENCE
Amphitheatre
Neufert , E.R.N.S.T. & Neufert , P.E.T.E.R. . (2012). Neufert Architect's Data . (Fourth ed.). Singapore : Wiley-Blackwell .
In-text citation: (Neufert & Neufert , 2012)
Littlefield, D.L. (2012). Metric Handbook Planning and Design Data. (4th ed.). Oxon: Architectural Press.

Caf & Restaurant

Neufert , E.R.N.S.T. & Neufert , P.E.T.E.R. . (2012). Neufert Architect's Data . (Fourth ed.). Singapore : Wiley-Blackwell .
Tilley , A.L.V.I.N. .R & Dreyfuss, H.E.N.R.Y. . (2002). The Measure of Man & Woman . (First ed.). New york : Wiley.
Panero, J.P & Zelinik, M.Z. (1979). Human Dimension & Interior Space. United State and Canada : Whitney Library of Design.
Chiara , J.O.S.E.P.H. .D. (2001). Time-Savers Standards for Building Type . (Fourth ed.). USA: McGraw-Hill Professional .

Bookshop
Neufert , E.R.N.S.T. & Neufert , P.E.T.E.R. . (2012). Neufert Architect's Data . (Fourth ed.). Singapore : Wiley-Blackwell .
In-text citation: (Neufert & Neufert , 2012)
Panero, J.P & Zelinik, M.Z. (1979). Human Dimension & Interior Space. United State and Canada : Whitney Library of Design.
Smartdrawcom. (2016). Smartdrawcom. Retrieved 25 January, 2016, from http://www.smartdraw.com/store-layout/examples/bookstore-layout/
Resourceorg. (2016). Resourceorg. Retrieved 25 January, 2016, from https://law.resource.org/pub/us/code/ibr/ansi.a117.1.2009.svg.html
In-text citation: (Resourceorg, 2016)

Toilet & Staircase

Neufert , E.R.N.S.T. & Neufert , P.E.T.E.R. . (2012). Neufert Architect's Data . (Fourth ed.). Singapore : Wiley-Blackwell .
In-text citation: (Neufert & Neufert , 2012)
Wheelchair ramp. (2012). Wikipedia. Retrieved 20 January, 2016, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wheelchair_ramp
Keuka studios, K.S. (-). Types of Stairs. Retrieved 20 January, 2016, from https://www.keuka-studios.com/types-of-stairs/
Architekwiki, A. (2013). The Ideal Janitor's Closet. Retrieved 20 January, 2016, from http://www.architekwiki.com/wiki/the-ideal-janitors-closet

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