Auditorium/Lecture Theatre

Lecture theatres are used to communicate a variety of subject matter to large audiences.  It’s an environment for passive learning where speakers present, and the need for two-way interaction is minimal other than taking questions from the audience.  For greater audience participation, thought needs to be given to delegate speech reinforcement and audience response/voting systems. 

The presentation style for lecture theatres is formal, and the environment needs to be well equipped with leading edge presentation technology, and therefore likely to have a variety of input sources.  Specification usually includes multiple displays on the focal wall, and potentially repeater displays depending on room layout/size.

Flexibility and ease of use are key requirements in the specification of Lecture Theatres.  A lectern or presentation desk provides a focal point for the presenter, and is ideally suited to house a both a dedicated room PC and laptop input.  A room control system provides easy automation for controlling the audio-visual switching, audio, lighting, videoconferencing, etc.  A microphone situated on the lectern/desk will provide voice reinforcement, reducing listener fatigue.

An interactive Podium display allows the presenter to annotate on digital content, which is simultaneously appearing on the main displays/screens.   It also acts as a preview monitor, and typically 24” in size.  Document visualisers allow display of non-digital content.

Audience numbers, room design and seating configurations influence the size and position of the display or projection screens and equipment. Seating must be comfortable, and suitable for layout in rows with the ability to see the displays/screens easily.