Doors Open to Thousands at Church's Conference Center

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah--July 10, 2001

More than 1,200 doors in the new Conference Center of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints fulfill several distinct functions. The doors used by most of the people attending events in the building's 21,000 seat auditorium were designed to make an architectural statement, while also providing safe entry and exiting for large numbers of people. On the other hand, the steel doors and frames in the nonpublic areas of the comprehensive facility were selected first for durability, then for functional appearance. Yet in different ways, the two goals often intersect. Throughout the building, the door and hardware choices were geared to achieve a balance of aesthetics, functionality, safety and security.

World's Largest Religious Auditorium

The new Conference Center of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints features what is believed to be the world's largest religious auditorium. The main auditorium includes a 7,667-pipe organ and is large enough to house a Boeing 747 with room to spare. It will seat more than 21,000 people, in addition to the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and the General Authorities of the Church. Dedicated on October 8, 2000, the magnificent structure also incorporates such features as state-of-the-art HDTV broadcast facilities and a 900-seat proscenium-style theater with computer-controlled lighting and sound. The 1.5 million square-foot Conference Center building and parking structure are located in downtown Salt Lake City, close to Temple Square. The building's nearly four-acre roof includes a re-creation of the wild landscape of a Utah mountain, complete with 500 trees, as well as an Alpine meadow. Sparkling rooftop fountains include one that cascades 67 feet down the front of the building from under the spire.

The facility was designed by architects Zimmer Gunsul Frasca Partnership (ZGF), which used a wide range of consultants to develop specifications for areas such as lighting, security, telecommunications, acoustics, mechanical/electrical/ plumbing, and door hardware, to name a few. Directions from the building owner were communicated to the consultants through ZGF. Consultants were allowed to communicate with one another to coordinate their respective fields, according to one member of the consulting team.

Doors & Hardware Support Safety and Security Needs

One area that illustrates how design and durability interface is the ten pairs of exterior doors that lead from exit stairwells directly to the building's outside plaza. The oversize pairs of doors and frames were furnished by Steelcraft, part of IR Security & Safety. They incorporate special grillwork applied to the face of each door, as well as a special antique bronze finish. Also unusual are the door frames, which feature a custom profile that allows the doors to be mounted in a recessed position.

At a more practical level, hundreds of Steelcraft® hollow metal doors and frames were used throughout back-of-house areas that include a wide variety of storage and staging locations, broadcast facilities, equipment rooms and mechanical areas. Where required by code, the doors and frames are fire-rated.

One unique door hardware application is the use of LCN pneumatic door operators on the main doors to the auditorium for the dual purpose of ventilation and safe exiting. If the fire alarm is activated, the 140 "blow-open" doors located on all three levels open automatically to the main lobby. Robert W. Roesbery, A.H.C., of Professional Hardware Consultants, Salt Lake City, who was the architect's hardware consultant for the project, notes that more people die from smoke than flames in a fire. Doug Morris, of ZGF Partnership, says the "blow-open" doors would provide smoke evacuation out of the main assembly area if there were a fire. Also, since the doors open outward, in the direction of egress, they would help to allow the occupants to exit as quickly as possible. Another reason for specifying the pneumatic door operators was that the architects wanted them to be concealed, and electrically operated versions were only available as surface-mounted units, according to Roesbery.

A contrasting operating principle holds true for multiple pairs of doors that lead to exit corridors from the auditorium. Here, the architect used LCN Sentronic® closer/holders to keep fire and smoke barrier doors in the open position but close them automatically if the fire alarm system is activated. This helps to control smoke and restrict it from closed areas. However, Von Duprin 98 Series exit devices allow safe exiting while preventing reentry into the area if the doors are closed. As part of the building's egress plan, all protected corridors lead out of the building from the auditorium. Exit stairwells from the second and third levels lead directly to outside exits.

The building is open 12 hours per day, six days a week for public tours. The architecture, artwork, statuary and lighting are all designed to be welcoming, according to Dale K. Bills of the Church's Public Affairs Department. "We want it to be open and inviting and accessible," he explains. "It belongs to the members of the Church, and we want them to be able to see it." However, as with any public building, security is also a factor, especially to restrict people from entering operating areas for their own safety. To keep these areas secure and maintain effective key control, many of the building's doors are equipped with Schlage® Primus® high security locks. The patented keyway and restricted key availability prevents unauthorized duplication.

Other types of door hardware also play a role in keeping the Conference Center functioning at its peak. For instance, the building has facilities for simultaneous translation of proceedings in up to 60 languages. Door closers were not installed on the doors to the translation rooms, due to the lower number of people that use them. However, each is equipped with a Glynn-Johnson® overhead stop that acts as a limiter to prevent users from opening them too far and hitting another door.

Throughout the Conference Center, the many different combinations of doors and hardware serve to both facilitate and control movement of the building's large volume of visitors. At the same time, they work together to provide protection and promote life safety.

According to Dale Bills, the Conference Center was designed primarily to host the Church's semiannual General Conferences but also has been used to present a variety of quality family-oriented, inspired entertainment, including concerts for Christmas, the Church President's 90th birthday celebration, and other events. He says a major program is planned during the upcoming Olympics. "This pageantry event will have lots of music, powerful drama and interesting lighting. It will use the power of modern theatrical presentation in a way that will enable us to share our message in a moving, emotional, unforgettable setting."