How to Design Theater Seating, Shown Through 21 Detailed Example Layouts (2024)

FAQs

How to design theatre seating? ›

In theater, sightlines concern the visibility of the stage. Ideally, you want to create an auditorium layout which seats multiple rows of people with no obstructions, so that audiences can easily see. The line of sight from the highest seats in a venue, usually the balcony, to the auditorium stage or screen.

Theater style seating is an arrangement of chairs in rows, arcs or circles that all face the same direction in the venue space. There are no tables, desks, or additional furniture used in theater style seating.

Nowadays, the term is more loosely used to describe any theatre where the audience is only facing the stage straight-on. To allow for 'wings' at the side of the stage. As such, the Theatre Seating is often flat since the stage is raised up, and goes upwards into circles and balconies.

Seating is a broad term used to describe furniture designed to allow people to sit or recline. Most types of seating include a horizontal seat (or seat pan), a form of upright back support and legs or some other support device attached to the underside of the seat pan.

Chairs should never be set directly under the table. Set chairs approximately 2″ away from the table to allow maximum seating. Always allow a minimum of 24″ for an aisle between chairs when setting several tables in an area. Setting tables approximately 54″ – 60″ from each other will allow aisle space.

Tip # 1: A triangle has 3 corners and three sides, so three persons can sit at these corners and they are facing either the center or the direction opposite to the center. Tip # 2: If A is three people away from B is given then 3 – 1 = 2 people will sit between them.

There are typically three sections to a Broadway theatre seating chart – Orchestra, Mezzanine, and Balcony.

Create a staggered layout – so each audience member can view the stage from the gap between the two people sitting in front of them. This layout is normally used in venues with a sloped floor, as there is no concern about the gap to be left between the end seat and the aisle.

The principles of theatrical design are used together to create an atmosphere on the stage that is appealing to audiences. Study these principles which include the set, costumes, lighting, and sound design.

How big is a 200 seat theatre? ›

Auditorium Dimensions & Layout

Dimensions can get tricky, but a good rule of thumb is arranging the size of the auditorium around the type of performance and the number of audience members you plan to seat: 200 seats: 270m² | 2,900 ft2. 150 seats: 190m² | 2,000 ft2.

As such, IMAX, ScreenX, and Dolby Cinema are your premium choices. If you're not sure which, I'd always default to IMAX, but ScreenX is the format that makes me intrigued to go check out the movie again for that additional width – especially if the director himself has given it the nod.

Every theatre is unique, but, with few exceptions, theatres, both Western and Asian, can be categorized into four basic forms: arena stage theatres (also referred to as theatre-in-the-round); thrust stage (or open stage) theatres; end stage theatres (of which proscenium theatres are a subset); and flexible stage ...

The auditorium (also known as the house) is where the audience sits to watch the performance. The seating may be at one or more levels depending on the size and type of theatre.

A seating depth of 40-50 cm is sufficient for an average adult. Seating Height: It is the distance between the floor and the seating surface of the seat. This precaution should ensure that the seated person's feet touch the ground. For an average adult, a seat height of 40-45 cm is sufficient.