I am always amused when I read erudite articles about ‘natural ventilation’ (BSj 01/07), especially related to theatres. Here is a diagram (above) from David Boswell Reid’s book of 1844 showing how it should be done. The similarities to Figure 3 in the article by Shaun Fitzgerald and Andrew Woods are not difficult to spot.

I wonder how Frank Matcham managed to design 127 theatres in the 19th century, which contemporary observers maintained were perfectly ventilated, especially when one considers that many of the men in the audience would be smoking a cigar or a pipe! Perhaps the authors should be travelling to Buxton and Wakefield if they want to see how to naturally ventilate a theatre, not Manchester and Lichfield.

Dr Neil Sturrock, vice-chairman CIBSE Heritage Group

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Building Sustainable Design