Static structures (e.g. – buildings) – With stadium or auditorium feature – Movable stage
Reexamination Certificate
2000-07-21
2001-09-25
Friedman, Carl D. (Department: 3635)
Static structures (e.g., buildings)
With stadium or auditorium feature
Movable stage
C052S008000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06293052
ABSTRACT:
This relates to a multifunctional complex or structure primarily for viewing concerts, plays, political conventions and the like and has particular reference to improvements in such structures to permit adding uses that include but not limited to a sports/ entertainment bar and a business area stacked one above the other adjacent to a concert hall.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The prior art is replete with different concert hall designs in which combinations of uses are revealed. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,002,233, Obata for “AUDITORIUM STRUCTURES”, depicts an elongated hexagonal auditorium which is divided into dual halls by a slanted movable partition. Both halls have similarity designed raised stages and floor level seating that is non-permanent, each seating section having a pentagonal design in cross section. As a result, the length of the row of non-permanent seating closest to the stage is equal to that of the row of seats most remote from the stage.
Also, in U.S. Pat. No. 2,259,646 a horse-shoe shaped auditorium is shown having two stages one behind the other. However, there is no room for dancers adjacent to either stages and the seating sections are not concentrically located relative to the central stage.
Theater-in-the-round is also a design well-known in the art in which the audience sit in a circle around the stage. Drawbacks include the fact that the performers must remember to change their presentation direction in order to provide equal time to each segment of the audience. If the stage rotates, the performers must walk in a direction opposite to the direction rotation when they want to concentrate of one segment of the audience. If a dance space is provided, dancers block the sight lines of audience members in the first row or tier of seating.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a multifunctional complex incorporating multiples uses and comprises a series of upright wall members arranged to form a rectangularly shaped structure in cross section. The wall members include a pair of parallel side walls, a back wall, a front wall parallel to said end wall and normal to the pair of side walls, a first interior wall parallel to said front and back walls, and a second interior wall parallel to said pair of side walls to divide the structure into a sports/entertainment bar at ground level and a separate concert hall. The concert hall is defined by a vertical axis centrally located within its portion of the structure, i.e., such axis being located about midway between the first interior wall and the back wall, and about midway between one of the side walls and the second interior wall. The central axis, however, is offset from the sports/entertainment bar.
Sight lines and enjoyability of the concert hall are enhanced by providing a series of inversely truncated pie shaped audience seating sections that radially surround an annular dance floor concentric of the central axis. (By the term inversely truncated pie shape, it is meant that apex of each seating section is most remote from the central axis and the non-apex elongated end is closest.) A stage means is symmetrically located relative to the central axis at an excavation level that is below ground level. However, most of the audience sections begin at ground level and are built upwards therefrom to ease most construction difficulties. That is, the concert hall includes a first ground level floor portion starting at the extremities of the first and second interior walls and the side and back walls, and thence extending inwardly toward the central vertical axis, and finally, terminating at an imaginary circle also concentric of the central axis. A second floor portion starts at the concentric circle and extends inwardly toward the central axis, but is angled downwardly from the first ground level floor portion to a horizontal pit floor region that is excavated below ground level a substantially amount, say 4 to 10 feet.
The stage means includes a rotatable central stage of circular cross section having an axis of rotation coincident the central axis and located within the pit floor region as well as a plurality of pie shaped stationary platforms located adjacent to the circumferential end surface of the rotatable stage. In horizontal cross section, the rotatable central stage and the plurality of pie shaped stationary platforms resembles a truncated star in which intersecting apex lines forming the points of the star are located at the stationary platforms and intersection of neighboring lines adjacent to the central axis is along an arc of a common circle. The stage means is supported by and extends vertically from the pit floor region to a height H that is below ground level where H is between 4 and 10 feet but the diameter of the rotatable stage is smaller than that of the pit floor region so as to leave a portion of the pit floor region free to form the annular dance floor previously mentioned.
The plurality of circumferentially spaced pie shaped stationary platforms each has an apex most remote from the central axis, an elongated radially extending non-apex end more closely adjacent to the rotatable stage and is defined by a radial axis that originates at the central axis and radiates outward therefrom in the manner of spokes of a wheel. The non-apex end of each of said stationary stages is positioned closely adjacent to the rotatable stage so that an entertainer can easily step from the rotatable stage to one of said plurality of stationary stages.
The series of truncated pie shaped audience seating sections each are tiered and radiate upward from the dance floor away from the central axis, each being bisected by vertical plane through one of the series of radial axes defining the stationary platforms and includes a non-apex truncated sub-section adjacent to the dance floor and apex section most remote from the stage means and the dance floor. The truncated non-apex sub-section is itself elevated above the dance floor by at least a height H so that entertainers on the rotatable stage can be seen even when dancers are present on said dance floor. Each of the series of seating sections also includes a plurality of tiered rows of individual seating in which the lowest tier of seating is at least at the elevation H above said dance floor as previously mentioned. Result: patrons who remain seated in the lowest tier of seating have an unobstructed view of the entertainers on the stage means even if dancers are present on the dance floor. Each of the series of seating section terminates in an individual suite located in and associated with the apex sub-section. As a result of the inverse pie shaped design of each seating section, patrons have the feeling of being individually entertained. Each of the suites is provided with multiple seating areas all situated above and to the rear of the tiered rows of individual seating. All seating areas have unobstructed sight lines to the stage means. Sliding glass means and video and sound means for televised viewing of the entertainers reside within each suite. An aisle system allows patrons to enter and exit their seats associated with each of the seating sections and well as enter and exit the dance floor easily.
In accordance with further aspects, the sports/entertainment bar includes a ground level floor, and seating and bar areas supported by the ground level floor. Its physical location within the structure is as follows: interior of and between an opposite of the pair of side walls (of the upright wall members) and the second interior wall, as well as between extended portions of the front and rear walls. In addition the seating and bar areas, an elevated stage area is located adjacent to the extended portion of the rear wall having an upright interior sub-wall upon which video and sound means is located, such video and sound means including a large television screen to allow display of one of (i) live performance from the concert hall and (ii) televised sports events exterior of the concert hall, but leaving ample area for live stage performan
Friedman Carl D.
Messner Harold D.
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