in a certain measure, facilitate the researches of students. It can readily be seen that if the cases containing the reference books, catalogues, etc., which in every library are put at the free disposition of the public, converge to the centre of the hall, the reader will easily find, after application at the office, the shelf that will furnish him the information which is to direct him in bis work. First of all, therefore, a public library ought to be so arranged as to facilitate the researches of the reader and enable him to obtain, in the shortest possible space of time, access to the required volumes.
(To lie continued.)
THEATRICAL ARCHITECTURE.1—IT.
THE HEIGHT OF THE BUILDING.
THE importance of a limit to the height of a theatre comes next to that of a desirable site, and, in fact, as will be seen, must be
studied when choosing the site. When it is considered how difficult it would be for one to escape from the top seat of the topmost gallery in cases of panic or alarm, it will be acknowledged how necessary it is to keep down the height of the building, and to do so without limiting the number of seats is the problem the architect has to solve, and a difficult one, too.
Perhaps the best way to obtain what is desired is to adopt the system now so often employed in the world’s metropolis, whereby an average is struck by placing part of the theatre below the ground, and seating everybody as near the street level as possible. In cases where the site is isolated, and at the same time on a slope, this is an easy matter. Perhaps the most perfect site of this description in London is that of the Savoy Theatre, on the Embankment. The theatre stands on a hill sloping up from the grand entrance vestibule in the front to the stage at the back. The vestibule is on the level of the dress circle, and the space for the stage is excavated so that the “ flies ” are on the street-level at the back, the stage being entirely below the level, of the roadway. By drawing a line from the front of the vestibule to the back of the flies, you obtain the slope of the side streets, and divide the theatre into two triangles, the lower one containing the pit and stage below the street-level, and the upper triangle containing, about the ground-level, the upper circle and gallery; while the dress circle is on the intersecting line, and is entered from the vestibule at the street-level in front. By
the natural advantages of the site being most cleverly adapted to the required purposes of the architect.
But it is seldom that a site can be obtained in a city on a hillside. Where a site is level throughout, the arrangements for neutralizing
Diagram showing Division between Auditorium and Corridor. All Openings to be filled with Fire-resisting Doors.
the heights are not so easily carried out; but still, by excavating for the lowest floor, the chances for all sections of the audience escaping are made equal. There should, of course, be a limit to the depth of
Diagram showing Section of a Theatre on a Sloping Site with Dress Circle and Stage below the Level of the Street.
this means the pit is reached by a few steps down, being entered from the bottom of the hill, or the lowest part of the site. The upper circle is entered half-way up the hill from one of the side streets or on the same level as the upper-circle seats, which are thus reached without going up a staircase, and the gallery is entered in such a manner as to reduce the length of the staircase to a minimum. Every seat is thus placed within a reasonable distance of the street,
excavation, and I would suggest that no section of the audience, with the exception of the pit and stalls, should be below the ground line, and that no seat be lower than twelve feet below the level of the street at the exit from such seat.
There are, of course, cases where excavation is impossible, on account of drainage, the nature of the soil or adjacent property. To meet this case, some limit must be put upon the height. The first tier, or dress circle, is placed from the street, otherwise the top
gallery will be at a dangerous height, and this must be governed by1 By Ernest W. E. Woodrow, A. R. I. B. A. Continued from No. 824, page 30.
(To lie continued.)
THEATRICAL ARCHITECTURE.1—IT.
THE HEIGHT OF THE BUILDING.
THE importance of a limit to the height of a theatre comes next to that of a desirable site, and, in fact, as will be seen, must be
studied when choosing the site. When it is considered how difficult it would be for one to escape from the top seat of the topmost gallery in cases of panic or alarm, it will be acknowledged how necessary it is to keep down the height of the building, and to do so without limiting the number of seats is the problem the architect has to solve, and a difficult one, too.
Perhaps the best way to obtain what is desired is to adopt the system now so often employed in the world’s metropolis, whereby an average is struck by placing part of the theatre below the ground, and seating everybody as near the street level as possible. In cases where the site is isolated, and at the same time on a slope, this is an easy matter. Perhaps the most perfect site of this description in London is that of the Savoy Theatre, on the Embankment. The theatre stands on a hill sloping up from the grand entrance vestibule in the front to the stage at the back. The vestibule is on the level of the dress circle, and the space for the stage is excavated so that the “ flies ” are on the street-level at the back, the stage being entirely below the level, of the roadway. By drawing a line from the front of the vestibule to the back of the flies, you obtain the slope of the side streets, and divide the theatre into two triangles, the lower one containing the pit and stage below the street-level, and the upper triangle containing, about the ground-level, the upper circle and gallery; while the dress circle is on the intersecting line, and is entered from the vestibule at the street-level in front. By
the natural advantages of the site being most cleverly adapted to the required purposes of the architect.
But it is seldom that a site can be obtained in a city on a hillside. Where a site is level throughout, the arrangements for neutralizing
Diagram showing Division between Auditorium and Corridor. All Openings to be filled with Fire-resisting Doors.
the heights are not so easily carried out; but still, by excavating for the lowest floor, the chances for all sections of the audience escaping are made equal. There should, of course, be a limit to the depth of
Diagram showing Section of a Theatre on a Sloping Site with Dress Circle and Stage below the Level of the Street.
this means the pit is reached by a few steps down, being entered from the bottom of the hill, or the lowest part of the site. The upper circle is entered half-way up the hill from one of the side streets or on the same level as the upper-circle seats, which are thus reached without going up a staircase, and the gallery is entered in such a manner as to reduce the length of the staircase to a minimum. Every seat is thus placed within a reasonable distance of the street,
excavation, and I would suggest that no section of the audience, with the exception of the pit and stalls, should be below the ground line, and that no seat be lower than twelve feet below the level of the street at the exit from such seat.
There are, of course, cases where excavation is impossible, on account of drainage, the nature of the soil or adjacent property. To meet this case, some limit must be put upon the height. The first tier, or dress circle, is placed from the street, otherwise the top
gallery will be at a dangerous height, and this must be governed by1 By Ernest W. E. Woodrow, A. R. I. B. A. Continued from No. 824, page 30.