# Theatre occupant load



## Codegeek (Aug 18, 2011)

In determining the occupant load for a multi-screen movie theatre, what occupant load factor would you apply to the corridor serving the theaters?  If the assumption is that the occupants would be those going to the theatres, how do you account for people waiting in line to see a movie such as "Harry Potter" on opening night?

I could see using 5 square feet per person for standing space, but that seems a little too extreme.


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## hlfireinspector (Aug 18, 2011)

*1025.4 Foyers and lobbies. *
​In Group A-1 occupancies, wherepersons are admitted to the building at times when seats are notavailable and are allowed to wait in a lobby or similar space,such use of lobby or similar space shall not encroach upon therequired clear width of the means of egress. Such waiting areasshall be separated from the required means of egress by substantialpermanent partitions or by fixed rigid railings not lessthan 42 inches (1067 mm) high. Such foyer, if not directly connectedto a public street by all the main entrances or exits, shallhave a straight and unobstructed corridor or path of travel to
​every such main entrance or exit.

They have a waiting area assigned to airports at 15 per square foot.

NFPA 101 12.1.7.2 Waiting spaces includes theaters and sets it at 3 square foot per person


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## Codegeek (Aug 18, 2011)

Perfect!  Learn something new every day.  Thank you!


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## Coug Dad (Aug 18, 2011)

The theater needs to establish a queing plan for where they will hold persons for the next show.  Those areas should be loaded at 5 square feet per person per IBC.  Otherwise the corridors are circulation areas of  100 square feet per person.  Some designs will utilize a horizontal exit between the individual theaters and the main corridor so the loads do not need to be combined for egress.


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## FM William Burns (Aug 18, 2011)

Our has a separated waiting area in the main lobby using retractable mesh and clips where it's calculated at 1/3 s.f. since we use 101 and I defer to CD for the IBC's 1/5 s.f.


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## Codegeek (Aug 19, 2011)

Thanks FM, I did look in 101 and found the 3 s.f.  Since this jurisdiction does not enforce 101, we will not need to comply with those provisions, but I would rather err on the side of caution and provide more egress than needed than to not have enough.


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