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Keep up to dateTypical stage and auditoria dimensions | |||
Repertory playhouse - proscenium | Repertory playhouse - open stage | City-centre receiving theatre | |
Capacity (seats) | 500-850 | 1000-1400 | 1000-1900 |
Volume/seat (m3) | 04-Jun | 05-Jul | 03-Jun |
Maximum distance to stage (m) | 19-23 | 16-19 | 22-28 |
Stage dimensions (m) | 15 | up to 60+ | |
Stage area | n/a | 80-100 | n/a |
Proscenium width | 10-Nov | n/a | Dec-20 |
Stage width | 18-21 | n/a | 20-30 |
Flying height | Dec-18 | n/a | 18-25 |
Design criteria | |
Maximum viewing distances | |
Drama | 20 m |
Musicals and opera | 30 m |
Auditorium size | Seats |
National opera and lyric theatres | 1200-2000+ |
Regional drama theatre, proscenium arch | up to 900 |
Regional theatre, open stage | 1200-1500 |
Studio theatre, end-stage courtyard format | 150-300 |
Auditorium volume | m3 / person |
Drama | 3-5 |
Music | 8 |
Reverberation time | Seconds |
Speech | 1-2 |
Orchestral music | 1-2 |
Choral music | 2+ |
Number of seats / aisle | |
Gangway on one side | 7-12 (total number determined by seatway width) |
Gangway on both sides | 14-28 |
Means of escape provision | in accordance with BS 5588: Part6: 1991 |
Dressing room provision (m2 / person) | |
Principals | 12-14 |
Shared | 05-Jun |
Ventilation rates | |
Auditorium and front of house | 10-15 litres/sec/person |
Toilets / dressing rooms | 10 air changes/hour |
Rehearsal spaces | 6 air changes/hour |
Lighting levels | |
Auditorium | 100 lux |
Back of house / administration | 500 lux |
Front of house | to specialist criteria |
Stage and theatre equipment | |
Minimum fly tower height | 2.5 x proscenium height |
Fly tower grid height | 18-23 m |
Minimum fly tower width | proscenium width + 6-8 m |
Stage power supply (incl spare capacity) | 400 + 200 A TP&N, 100-200 A SP&N |
Total dimmer capacity | 350-690 kW |
Number of dimmer circuits | 200-360 |
Number of stage light power sockets | 400-500 |
Number of fly lines | 50-75 |
Total fly tower live load | 1 kN/m2 |
Toilet provision | |
Male WCs | one for up to 250, plus one for each additional 500 people |
Female WCs | three for up to 100, plus one for each additional 40 people |
Urinals | two for up to 100, plus one for each additional 80 people |
Equipment costs (£000s) | ||||
Large-scale modern touring theatre | Medium-scale modern repertory touring theatre | Modern studio theatre | Medium-scale refurbished theatre | |
Stage engineering | ||||
Flying | 300-350 | 130-150 | - | 130-150 |
Safety curtains and fire doors | 270-320 | 60-90 | - | 45-55 |
Lighting access | 180-210 | 150-170 | - | - |
Stage / pit lifts | 200-250 | 70-100 | - | 100-140 |
Hoists | 150-170 | 30-50 | 20-30 | - |
Curtains and masking | 230-260 | 20-50 | Oct-20 | May-20 |
Lighting | ||||
Controls | 60-70 | 40-50 | 15-25 | 40-50 |
Dimming | 160-180 | 40-60 | 20-30 | 25-40 |
Distribution | 90-110 | 20-40 | Oct-20 | 20-30 |
Luminaires | 160-200 | 40-60 | 20-30 | 20-30 |
Sound and communications | 300-380 | 90-120 | 65-80 | 140-180 |
TOTAL | 2100-2500 | 750-940 | 160-235 | 525-685 |
Cost breakdown | |||
Element cost (£) | £/m2 gfa (£) | % of total cost | |
Substructure | 256 500 | 84.38 | 5.83 |
Excavating for pits and basements, up to 4 m deep | 1200 m2 @ | £30.00 | |
Extra for excavating within existing buildings | 300 m3 @ | £30.00 | |
Extra for excavating stage lift caissons | 8 @ | £550 | |
Underpinning insitu concrete foundations | 90 m @ | £350 | |
Piling - 300 mm diameter driven piles, depth 12-15 m | 130 @ | £650 | |
Reinforced insitu concrete, grade C30/C40 | - | - | |
Ground beams | 50 m @ | £170 | |
Slabs | 1250 m2 @ | £20.00 | |
Suspended slabs | 180 m2 @ | £70.00 | |
Walls | 470 m2 @ | £65.00 | |
Waterproofing and protection | item @ | £14 000 | |
Frame | 238 100 | 78.32 | 5.41 |
Structural steel framing | 134 t @ | £1,100 | |
Built-up trusses spanning auditorium | 16 t @ | £1,200 | |
Fly tower access galleries and grid | 17 t @ | £1,150 | |
Allowance for additional framing and isolated steelwork | allow | £4,000 | |
Works to existing steel frame in auditorium | allow | £7,000 | |
Intumescent paint | 2350 m2 @ | £11.50 | |
Insitu concrete ring beam | allow | £9,000 | |
Insitu concrete beam casings | 60 m @ | £35.00 | |
Precast concrete columns | 30 m @ | £95.00 | |
Upper floors | 108 800 | 35.79 | 2.47 |
Insitu concrete suspended slabs, 150-225 mm thick | 530 m2 @ | £70.00 | |
Composite suspended slab, insitu concrete and steel decking | 770 m2 @ | £34.00 | |
Precast beam and block flooring to upper floor levels | 440 m2 @ | £35.00 | |
Timber suspended upper floors with ply/hardwood decking | 750 m2 @ | £23.00 | |
Acoustic pads to floating floors adjacent to auditorium | 300 m2 @ | £18.00 | |
Galvanised steel access galleries | item @ | £7,500 | |
Roof | 114 300 | 37.6 | 2.6 |
Composite suspended roof slab; insitu concrete and metal decking | 200 m2 @ | £38.00 | |
Sawn softwood structure to flat and pitched roofs | 840 m2 @ | £18.50 | |
Mastic asphalt; two coats; rigid sheet insulation | 530 m2 @ | £20.00 | |
Extra for paving slabs; support pads and filter membrane | 250 m2 @ | £30.00 | |
Handmade clay ped tiles, felt underlay and battens | 45 m2 @ | £48.00 | |
Natural Welsh slate, felt underlay and battens | 340 m2 @ | £55.00 | |
Sheet lead cladding; code 5; fixed to plywood sheet | 150 m2 @ | £95.00 | |
Proprietary double-glazed rooflights and skylights | 35 m2 @ | £540 | |
Lead sheet and stainless steel flashings, soakers and gutters | allow | £13 000 | |
Sundry trims and skirtings, insulation and proofing | allow | £6,000 | |
Stairs | 54 900 | 18.06 | 1.25 |
Insitu concrete staircases | 44 flights @ | £800 | |
Cat ladders and escape stairs | allow | £7,500 | |
Isolated handrails, steel | 60 m @ | £30.00 | |
Isolated handrails, stainless steel | 160 m @ | £65.00 | |
External walls | 196 400 | 64.6 | 4.46 |
Handmade facing bricks, £500/1000 | - | - | |
Half-brick-thick snapped headers | 1400 m2 @ | £60.00 | |
Common brickwork, half-brick-thick | 490 m2 @ | £25.00 | |
Common brickwork, one-brick thick | 450 m2 @ | £48.00 | |
Dense solid concrete blockwork, 100 mm thick | 1200 m2 @ | £16.00 | |
Dense solid concrete blockwork, 215 mm thick | 650 m2 @ | £28.00 | |
Dressed stonework sills and plinths | 110 m @ | £260 | |
Precast concrete copings | 150 m @ | £40.00 | |
Applied finishes; waterproofing and allowances for work to existing | allow | £6,500 | |
Windows and external doors | 45 000 | 14.8 | 1.02 |
Softwood windows; factory double-glazed | 50 m2 @ | £340 | |
Repairs to existing windows | allow | £2,500 | |
Replacement sealed double-glazing units to existing windows | 75 m2 @ | £40.00 | |
External quality doors with hardwood frames | 15 @ | £600 | |
Specialist steel acoustic door to scene dock | 1 @ | £6,000 | |
Aluminium louvres | 25 m2 @ | £190 | |
Precast concrete sills and lintels | 60 @ | £45 | |
Internal partitions | 68 600 | 22.57 | 1.56 |
Dense solid concrete blockwork | - | - | |
100 mm thick | 3200 m2 @ | £14.00 | |
215 mm thick | 340 m2 @ | £26.00 | |
Head restraint to partitions | allow | £4,000 | |
Glazed screens and acoustic screens to public areas and control rooms | item @ | £11 000 | |
Internal doors | 183 700 | 60.43 | 4.17 |
Veneer or laminate finish vision panels, soild core, hardwood frames, ironmongery | - | - | |
Doorsets, no fire rating | 100 @ | £580 | |
Doorsets, fire rated, FD30 | 80 @ | £750 | |
Doorsets, acousitc, RW38 | 10 @ | £930 | |
Doorsets, fire rated, acoustic; FD30; RW38 | 22 @ | £1,200 | |
Glazed screens with integral doors and doorsets; hardwood frames; Georgian wired glass; ironmongery | 45 m2 @ | £400 | |
Steel acoustic doors to stage and scene dock; strong-room door | allow | £12 000 | |
Wall finishes | 190 100 | 62.53 | 4.32 |
Hardwood veneer-faced plywood panel wall linings; 6 mm thick; sawn softwood framed supports | 450 m2 @ | £60.00 | |
Wood acoustic panels; 50 mm thick; sawn softwood framed support | 150 m2 @ | £105 | |
Aluminium sheet cladding; 1.2 mm thick; to stage and backstage areas | 175 m2 @ | £220 | |
Work to retained timber panelling in auditorium | allow | £7,500 | |
Two coats of plaster 13 mm thick | 8400 m2 @ | £4.60 | |
Ceramic tile (PC sum £20/m2) to kitchen areas | 330 m2 @ | £40.00 | |
Plastic sheeting, 3 mm thick, to showers and wet areas | 345 m2 @ | £65.00 | |
Painting and clear finishing generally | 7700 m2 @ | £1.70 | |
Miscellaneous trims, cover stips, mouldings; hardwood | allow | £14 000 | |
Floor finishes | 112 300 | 36.94 | 2.55 |
Cement sand screeds, 50-75 mm thick | 1650 m2 @ | £7.00 | |
Plastics sheeting; non-slip vinyl safety flooring | 600 m2 @ | £30.00 | |
Carpets (PC sum £30/m2) underlay | 1700 m2 @ | £35.00 | |
Carpet finish to treads and risers | 1000 m @ | £10.00 | |
Softwood skirting | 1200 m @ | £6.00 | |
Matwells | allow | £6.00 | |
Ceiling finishes | 160 300 | 52.73 | 3.64 |
Lightweight acoustic plaster, 22 mm thick; stainless steel lathing forming suspended ceiling | 1200 m2 @ | £33.00 | |
Two coats of lightweight plaster, 13 mm thick; stainless steel lathing forming suspended ciling | 550 m2 @ | £30.00 | |
Suspended ceiling two-coat spray applied to acoustic plaster; Ardex, 12 mm thick | 1000 m2 @ | £12.50 | |
One layer plasterboard, 9.5 mm thick, skim coat | 960 m2 @ | £6.00 | |
Suspended ceiling; acoustic panels 1200 x 600 mm | 110 m2 @ | £45.00 | |
Perforated aluminium sheet cladding, 1.2 mm thick, to backstage areas | 95 m2 @ | £220 | |
Woodwool decking, including structural steel subframe | 250 m2 @ | £65.00 | |
Steel access galleries to services void; handrails | 110 m2 @ | £45.00 | |
Allowance for access panels to suspended ceilings | allow | £5,000 | |
Allowance for additional supports and framing to existing structure | allow | £30 000 | |
Painting plaster; matt emulsion paint | 2250 m2 @ | £1.75 | |
Fittings, fixtures and furniture | 247 500 | 81.41 | 5.62 |
Theatre seats | 690 @ | £140 | |
Bar and servery fittings and equipment | item @ | £70 000 | |
Box office counters, shutters and fittings | item @ | £20 000 | |
Stage door and backstage fittings generally | item @ | £26 000 | |
Coat racks, lockers and mirrors | item @ | £6 000 | |
Window blinds | 48 m2 @ | £50.00 | |
Signage and noticeboards | item @ | £26 500 | |
Sanitary appliances | 50 400 | 16.58 | 1.14 |
Vanity units | allow | £8,000 | |
Sanitary fittings, WCs, basins and showers | 110 @ | £300 | |
Cleaners' sinks | item @ | £1,500 | |
Hand dryers | 35 @ | £225 | |
Services equipment | 208 000 | 68.42 | 4.73 |
Specialist catering installation complete | item @ | £135 000 | |
Building management system | 3040 m2 @ | £24.00 | |
Disposal installations | 33 400 | 10.99 | 0.76 |
Rainwater pipework, plastics and aluminium pipework | 3040 m2 @ | £5.00 | |
Foul water disposal; plastic pipework | 3040 m2 @ | £6.00 | |
Water installation | 57 800 | 19.01 | 1.31 |
Cold water storage and distribution; stainless steel and copper pipework; insulation | 3040 m2 @ | £12.50 | |
Hot water storage and distribution; central calorifier; stainless steel and copper pipework; insulation | 3040 m2 @ | £6.50 | |
Space heating and air treatment | 253 000 | 83.22 | 5.75 |
Gas installation | item | £7,000 | |
Low temperature hot water heating; pressed steel radiators; finned tube convectors; steel pipework; insulation; gas-fired boilers | 3040 m2 @ | £20.00 | |
Supply and extract system; air-handling plant; distribution ductwork; grilles and diffusers | 3040 m2 @ | £40.00 | |
Packaged low-velocity air-conditioning system serving auditorium only | 370 m2 @ | £60.00 | |
Dedicated toilet and kitchen extract systems | 3040 m2 @ | £11.00 | |
Additional acoustic treatment and attenuation | item @ | £8,000 | |
Electrical installations | 255 000 | 83.88 | 5.79 |
Low voltage switchgear and distribution; incoming main; supplies to mechanical plant | 3040 m2 @ | £12.00 | |
Lighting distribution wiring | 3040 m2 @ | £17.00 | |
Production lighting distribution | allow | £15 000 | |
Luminaires and emergency luminaires (stage lighting included in special installations | 3040 m2 @ | £18.00 | |
Small power distribution | 3040 m2 @ | £18.00 | |
Multi-service cable tray and multi-compartment trunking | 3040 m2 @ | £10.00 | |
Ups installation | item @ | £12 000 | |
Lift installation | 47 000 | 15.46 | 1.07 |
Eight-person hydraulic lift with dual access, serving eight floors | item @ | £35 000 | |
Two kitchen hoists in stainless steel serving two floors each | item @ | £12 000 | |
Protective installations | 20 200 | 6.65 | 0.46 |
Earthing and bonding | 3040 m2 @ | £4.00 | |
Lightning protection | 3040 m2 @ | £1.00 | |
Hand-held fire extinguishers | item @ | £5,000 | |
Special installations | 625 500 | 205.76 | 14.21 |
Stage engineering | - | - | |
Safety curtain, hoist and release | item @ | £52 000 | |
Single purchase flying system; 48 lines; counterweight frames; handlines and accessories; pick-up lines for lighting | item @ | £134 000 | |
Two orchestra elevators and controls | item @ | £125 000 | |
Cinema-quality film screen, hoist and controls | item @ | £33 000 | |
Stage lighting | - | - | |
Control desk | allow | £30 000 | |
Dimmer racks and controls | item @ | £57 500 | |
Production lighting distribution and outlet boxes | item @ | £22 000 | |
Luminaires and accessories | item @ | £40 000 | |
Sound and communication | - | - | |
Sound mixing | item @ | £17 000 | |
Loudspeakers | item @ | £20 000 | |
Amplification and signal processing | item @ | £19 500 | |
Playback equipment | item @ | £8 000 | |
Microphones, patching, equipment racks, cables, accessories and adptors | item @ | £25 000 | |
Ring intercom | item @ | £8 500 | |
Video system | item @ | £5 000 | |
CATV system | item @ | £1 500 | |
Show relay | item @ | £3 500 | |
Paging system | item @ | £13 000 | |
Cue light system | item @ | £2 000 | |
Stage manager's station | item @ | £5 000 | |
Infra-red hearing assistance | item @ | £7 000 | |
Accessories, connectors, sound and communication wiring | item @ | £27 000 | |
Builders' work in connection | 80 600 | 26.51 | 1.83 |
Associated builders' work, service trenches, holes, sleeves, chases etc | allow | 5% | |
Subtotal | 3 668 200 | 1 206.64 | 83.33 |
Preliminaries and contingencies | 733 600 | 2241.32 | 16.67 |
Contractor's management and staff, site accommodation and establishment | allow | 12% | |
Design reserve and contingency | allow | 8% | |
Total for refurbishment (excluding site works and drainage) | 4 401 800 | 1 447.96 | 100 |
Regional Variations | |
All the costs are based on a scheme in East Anglia. Costs should be adjusted by the following location factors for schemes in other regions | |
Inner London | 1.2 |
Outer London | 1.14 |
South East | 1.06 |
South West | 1 |
East Midlands | 0.99 |
West Midlands | 1 |
Yorkshire and Humberside | 0.99 |
North West | 1 |
Northern | 1 |
Scotland | 1.06 |
Wales | 1 |
Northern Ireland | 0.86 |