Concept in Definition ABC

An auditorium is a venue for various activities. The attending public comes to this place to contemplate an artistic expression, such as a play, a dance performance, a piece of music or a monologue.

Likewise, this venue can also be oriented to all those activities in which some knowledge is transmitted, such as a conference, a debate or a political rally. Today most auditoriums are multifunctional.

General considerations in architectural design

Architects designing an auditorium must provide an effective technical solution to the acoustics issue. In this sense, the room has to be free of any deficiencies, such as noise concentrations, pulsating echoes or resonances. Architecturally, the enclosure has to respect the laws of sound reflection.

From the audience's point of view, it is necessary that the visual perception and hearing is correct.

The stage is the main part of an auditorium and the rest of the rooms revolve around it. In specialized terminology, the entire space that makes up the stage is known as a stage box. (It must be considered that a stage has associated a stage machinery, also known as tramoya).

The capacity of the venue is a determining issue for the type of activities that can be scheduled.

As is logical, this type of space incorporates all kinds of measures of safety, especially those related to the evacuation of the public when there is a emergency.

Types of auditorium throughout history

The amphitheater, also known as theater classical Greek, consists of three parts: the scene, the place for the orchestra and the stands.

The Roman theater is a new version of the amphitheater (the place intended for the stage was reduced to a semicircle).

The first medieval theaters were located in the churches and had several stages where the public circulated through all of them. During the Renaissance the auditoriums recovered the classical stage approach.

In the Anglo-Saxon world the Elizabethan theater was introduced, a building wooden dedicated to outdoor shows.

In the 18th and 19th centuries, theaters incorporated new lighting techniques. Currently auditoriums are multipurpose spaces and are not limited exclusively to the scenic world.

Photos: Fotolia - Media Whale / Logan81