Cinema: NFPA 101 Assembly, Egress and Projection Booth

Premium multiplexes in Turkey's large shopping malls are the country's flagship cinema venues. An IMAX auditorium holds 400 seats with a 30 m screen and 15 kW laser projection. NFPA 101 treats cinemas as assembly occupancy, requiring aisles of at least 1065 mm where level or ramped with seating on both sides (915 mm if serving 50 seats or fewer) and 1220 mm where stepped with seating on both sides (915 mm if serving 50 seats or fewer), a two-exit rule, at least 305 mm clear row width (NFPA 101-2024 12.2.5.8.3, 12.2.5.7.2) and theatre-style sprinklers.

Assembly Occupancy

• Assembly occupancy: a gathering of 50 or more persons (NFPA 101-2024 6.1.2.1); NFPA 101 defines no subclasses, the A-1…A-5 letter codes belong to the IBC
• Cinema auditorium: theater-type seating in rows; egress capacity per NFPA 101-2024 Table 12.2.3.2 (12.2.3.1)

Egress Width

• Egress width per person: 7.6 mm (0.0076 m)
• Door width per person: 5.6 mm per seat for theater-type seating (NFPA 101-2024 Table 12.2.3.2)
• Two separate exits: 50 persons or more
• Dead-end: Max 6 m
• Travel distance: 76 m sprinklered

Seat Layout

• Aisle width: 1.2 m
• Seats per row: max 100 with aisles at both ends; with an aisle at one end only, max 9.1 m travel from any seat to the aisle (NFPA 101-2024 12.2.5.7.5, 12.2.5.7.6)
• Row clear width: min 305 mm; +7.6 mm per seat over 14 with aisles at both ends (need not exceed 560 mm), +15 mm per seat over 7 with an aisle at one end (NFPA 101-2024 12.2.5.7.2, 12.2.5.7.5.1, 12.2.5.7.6.1)
• Wheelchair spaces: 1% of seats
• FR seat: CAL 133 test

Projection Booth

• Laser 15 kW: IEC 60825 Class 4
• IMAX 70mm film: No nitrate
• Ventilation: 6 ACH
• 2 h firewall: Separation
• Port glass: Wired

Turkey Cinemas

• Mall multiplex: 12 halls
• IMAX auditorium: 30 m screen
• Large mall multiplex: 15 halls
• Historic cinema building: restoration
• Pandemic 2020-22: Closures

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