What to consider when designing seating in natatoriums.

What to consider when designing seating in natatoriums.
BY SCOTT W. HESTER
PHOTO PAOLO BONA_SHUTTERSTOCK.COM | BACKGROUND PHOTO BY ESTO PHOTOGRAPHICS, INC.
S
pectator seating, a key component in any
competitive venue, can often become a hotbutton topic when designing a natatorium.
Aspects such as quantity of seats, type of
seat, location, spectator viewing angles and many more
variables will arise when making these important
decisions. While there is some level of subjectivity
involved, and expectations can vary widely, these
choices can have a significant impact on a facility.
multiple pool sides should be provided. Other aquatic sports such as water polo and
synchronized swimming have also traditionally
preferred spectator seating that is parallel to the
field of play. While some fans may actually prefer a
frontal view for diving, industry precedence has been
to maintain viewing for springboard and platform
diving from the side, as well.
WATERSIDE VIEW
Location of the spectator seating area in natatorium
design can vary significantly. Generally the most
advantageous seating is elevated one story above the
water based on two factors: viewing obstructions
such as people walking back and forth along the deck,
as well as a desire for separation of athletes from
spectators. As a result, a preference of swimmers
and officials is to provide elevated seating with the
first row approximately 10 feet or greater above the
pool deck. This situation can commonly be found in
natatoriums that contain long-course pools or pools
with diving springboards and platforms. In these
Unlike sports such as basketball, football, baseball
and hockey, spectator seating for aquatic sports is
almost always located parallel to the field of play so
as not to significantly diminish the experience. This
allows spectators to follow the event from end to end.
For natatoriums with a pool designed for
racecourse configurations in perpendicular
directions, such as a 50-meter-by-25-yard pool,
seating along two sides of the pool might be
preferred. However, given the somewhat unique
conditions, providing spectator seating along
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HEADS ABOVE WATER
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instances, the vertical space for providing second-story
elevated seating is almost always available.
With second-story seating, a design that combines
permanent seats and portable seating can provide
additional opportunities within the natatorium space.
Areas where portable seating can be removed make for
ideal space to conduct dryland training or other nonwater based activities. During larger meets, portable
bleachers can then be staged in this dryland training
area. In addition to the viewing advantages that elevated
seating can offer, space beneath this seating allows
opportunity to locate locker rooms, offices, classrooms,
meet management areas, pool mechanicals and storage.
Sometimes budget or other factors lead the designer to
create mezzanine seating, where the first row is four to
six feet above the pool deck. This design offers improved
views but lacks the advantages of second-story seating.
While seating raised at a minimum of four feet above the
pool deck can still provide an excellent viewing experience,
it can also present challenges with obstruction of views
caused by athletes and officials walking on the pool deck.
CLEAR Cs
The rake of spectator seating is another key sightline
consideration. As with other sporting events, ensuring
that each spectator has the ability to adequately see the
entire field of play is critical to the fan experience in a
natatorium. This becomes particularly important with
elevated seating, where a ceiling rising up to 20 feet
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high may be required, the additional materials needed to
achieve such heights driving up capital costs.
To achieve a full-field-of-play experience, the quality
of one’s clear view beyond spectators in front — known in
the design community as “C Value” — must be considered.
The higher the C Value, the better spectators can see above
a person sitting in front of them. In very large stadiums,
the quantity of seats makes it prohibitive to develop a
consistent viewing experience from every seat. Thus, there
is almost always a tiered pricing schedule for seats.
In a natatorium, which may include only few thousand
seats, a tiered pricing schedule is unlikely. Having a
facility where there’s not a bad seat in the house can and
should be achievable.
WATER-RESISTANCE
Seating areas in natatoriums can be permanent, temporary,
or a mix of both. Permanent seats are often considered the
first choice due to ease of upkeep and lower annual costs.
Permanent seating can be either bleacher style or individual
seats. For most facilities, bleacher seating provides the
most economical solution and can maximize the seat count
within the available space. However, for larger facilities
that are expected to host national and international
competitions, individual seats may be preferred.
Because the harsh environment of natatoriums can
wreak havoc on building materials and finishes, material
selection is important. Non-corrosive equipment should
be selected, and in some instances, concrete-step seating
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may provide sufficient seating while boasting a low
maintenance requirement.
Other issues to be considered include capital costs,
ability to convert spectator seating space to multiuse
space, frequency of competition events, emergency exit
requirements, density of spectators, and requirements for
parking-to-seating ratios.
BY THE NUMBERS
The most common factors — besides budget —
determining the total quantity of spectator seating are
pool size and the scale of the events to be held there. A
typical seat count for a short-course pool is 125 to 250
seats. Facilities hosting multi-team meets will usually
require 250 to 500 seats. Since such events are less
frequent, a combination of permanent and temporary
seats is the most cost-effective solution.
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Occasionally, a natatorium will be called upon to host
larger multi-team meets. These facilities can justify 500
to 1,000 combined seats. A long-course pool that will host
major competitions will typically require a minimum of
1,000 permanent seats, with space for installing additional
temporary seats.
Still larger attendance may occur for special events,
such as national collegiate championship meets, which
Find more aquatic
facility design guidance at:
www.library.athleticbusiness.com/topics/aquatics
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frequently accommodate 1,500 to 2,500 spectators using a
combination of permanent and temporary seats. Prior to
the event’s demise, the U.S. Olympic Festival requirements
were 2,500 to 3,000 seats. Major international swimming
events such as the FINA World Championships or Pan
American Games typically require 7,500 to 10,000 seats.
At the top of the scale are Olympic aquatic venues, with
a requirement of 15,000 to 20,000 seats, including up
to one-third reserved for VIPs, athlete family members
and the media. Such events require a huge investment of
resources and logistics on the part of a facility, but come
with a worthwhile payoff.
Other factors that must be considered with spectator
seating include controlled access, traffic patterns that
do not cross wet decks, ADA design issues, emergency
exits, spectator-only restrooms, and custodial care.
Each of these items should be carefully evaluated so
a clear understanding among both the professional
design consultants and owner are consistent. It is also
likely that jurisdictional code requirements may impact
several of these design considerations.
Designing the appropriate spectator seating location,
style and quantity involves many considerations. Providing
ample space for spectators in a friendly and comfortable
environment is critical, and all factors should be considered
by developing a list of preferred solutions that are prioritized and matched to fit a budget. While this goal may seem
difficult to achieve at the onset of a natatorium project,
proper planning and design can result in a facility suited to
meet spectator expectations for many years. Ω
Scott Hester ([email protected]) is president and
principal with St. Louis-based aquatics engineering
firm Counsilman-Hunsaker.
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