Fire safety

Currently, the theatre in MWR is not allowed to operate due to its inability to comply with government regulations for fire safety and accessibility. The 2019 fire risk and safety assessment of MWR raises several safety hazards.

1. There is no reception area directly visible from the main entrance (risk of arson, people wandering etc.).

2. The staircases are cluttered at moments in a poor state.

3. There is no disabled access.

4. Based on the floor plans the back end of the building is serviced by additional 2 staircases; however, the top right staircases as depicted is impossible and would not meet regulation; while I personaly haven’t been able to locate the top left one as it is inaccessible to the public.

Phase 2 observations

The group work phase 2 proposal addresses the main issues.

1. A small reception and coat-hanging area are provided to reduce the risk of arson.

2. The building is provided with a lobby for small gatherings before, during and after shows. The staircases are no longer clustered.

3. An elevator is provided for disabled access.

4. However, the back staircase is still an issue we hadn’t addressed. The same seemingly impossible staircase was used at the back of the building.

5. Additionally, the benefit of having 2 front staircases was overlooked. In the process of creating space for a reception area, one of the staircases has been removed, which proves to be problematic for fire safety. That is due to the fact that the 2nd-floor space (the theatre overhang) is only serviced by 1 emergency exit that does not achieve the safe distance of evacuation in the event of fire.

Proposed 4 5 strategy 5 6 6 6 6

I believe the theatre is critical for the financial stability of MWR as well as for the community. Thereby my Phase 4 proposal resolves the before-mentioned issues by using the beacon features, thus creating a modern and seamless design that meets the regulation.

1. A reception area visible from multiple entrances is provided to minimise the risk of arson.

2. A lobby for gatherings before, after and during the performances is provided and made larger in comparison to Phase 2

3. An elevator servicing all floors is provided for disabled access.

4. The back staircase is now clearly visible and easily identifiable, servicing all floors.

5. The 2nd floor (theatre overhang) is serviced by 2 fire escape routes at the front and back of the building, thus complying with the regulation.

The MWR building falls under categories 5b and 5c of the classification; thereby escape routes have to be located at a maximum distance of 45 meters regardless of the position of the building. The maximum theatre capacity is around 450 people; thereby the building has to have at least 2 escape routes. While it is estimated that the width of the stairs should be around 1500mm.