Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1935-07-20
Acknowledging
Air-Conditionins Installed
in Largest Neighborhood
Show Houses.
BY LAWRENCE TUCKER.

The installation of ultra modern
conditioning equipment has re-
Gently been completed at the Am
bassador and Tivoh theaters, largest
of the neighborhood show houses.
Although hundreds of other air-con-
ditioning installations have been made
these theaterS are the first to be
equipped with comfort cooling since
the downtown houses made provisions
for it several years ago. The great ad-
vances in the science of supplying
artificial weather are graphically
demonstrated in the design of both of
the systems, not only in the ideal con-
ditions enjoyed by the patrons, but
in the simplicity of the equipment
itself.
Causes for criticism in the cooling
furnished by the older type of in
stallation, to a large degree, have
been removed in these plants. Many
people have objected to the extremely
cold, clammy feeling experienced in
most theaters and have asked for an
explanation of the cause Of this I'M
pleasant condition.
Heat Content Varies.
In the first place we should consider
the problem involved in changing the
climate inside a theater. It contains
q huge quantity of air and a widely
ranging number of people, hence the
amount of heat to be removed is far
from being constant. This condition
calls for a sensitive system of auto
matte control that will maintain an
even temperature regardless of load.
Then again, the modern trend is away
from extremely low temperatures, but
instead, supplying much drier air.
In order to insure the supplying OF
properly dried air to the audience the
old style washer type" air coolers
have been eliminated and compact,
filmed cooling coils have taken their
place. These coils require a space
which is only a fraction of that oc-
cupied by the bulky washer, and are
also much lighter in weight, hence
they have been placed up on the roof
directly connected to the blowers.
One should also remember that in
addition to the prevailing heat out
side, the heat of the air inside the
building, and in the fresh air being
supplied, there is a much greater
source Of heat and moisture from the
patrons themselves. Each person sit
ting down quietly watching movie
is giving of a large amount of water
vapor in his breathing This heat and
moisture must be removed by the air
conditioning equipment in addition
to all the other factors ertioned
Must Vary With Crowd.
1t is obvious, therefore, that as the
crowd varies the air-conditioning ma
chinery must vary its capacity too or
the temperature will become too low
or high for comfort. This is one thing
that many of the older systems are
not equipped to do automatically.
Then, again, If the machinery is
not adequate in capacity to remove
the water vapor being given of by
the audience, this moisture builds up
in the theater's air and before long
has reached a point where the clammy,
damp sensation is experienced.
The equipment installed in the
AMI ssador and Tivoli theaters has
been designed to both cool and dry
the air adequately and automati-
cally. and numerous patrons will no
doubt spend many evenings enjoying
their movies in conditioned COM
fort.