Floor plans that work: zones, circulation and dead space

An English summary of the 2026 layout guide: six functional zones, area ratios for a 1,000 sqm hall, circulation types, aisle widths, dead space use and retrof…

A floor plan decides more than how a hall looks: whether a guest sees the most wanted attraction on arrival, how long they stay, and whether they spend again before leaving. The 2026 guide sets out one main route plus six zones; this page summarises what keeps a plan out of rework.

Key points

One main route plus six zones: arrival, low threshold interactive, core, competition, younger children, and rest and food with service and till.
Reference split for 1,000 sqm: arrival 8% 12%, interactive 15% 20%, core equipment 30% 40%, competition 10% 15%, children 8% 15%, rest and light food 8% 12%, service and till 5% 8%, plus 20% 28% kept as public circulation.
Route type follows size: a loop under 600 sqm, a spine with side aisles at 600 1,500 sqm, twin routes closing into a loop above 1,500 sqm; a straight run only suits narrow sites.
Widths: 2.4 3.6 m main route, 1.8 2.4 m secondary aisles, 1.2 1.5 m behind each operating position; ceilings under 3.2 m rule out large immersive units.
Structural columns become anchors for island equipment clusters instead of obstacles, while deep corners go to experiences that guests will walk to.
Queue lanes are cut out of the main route, and waiting, spectating and photo space is reserved at design stage.
Partial retrofits typically cost 15% 35% of a full refit and are staged in three or four sections while the hall keeps trading.

Circulation decides revenue, not the equipment list

Equipment can be swapped, but a route cast into the floor, wiring and fire plan is expensive to change, so much of a hall's profitability is fixed on the drawing board. Halls with a clean route commonly show 20% 50% longer dwell time and roughly 10% 30% more daily plays per machine than similar halls with a tangled plan. It also lists the usual failures: queues spilling into the main aisle, equipment nobody walks to, and zones where children and adult competitors collide.

Checking the plan after opening

Instead of judging the drawing, the article measures it with heat maps, five to ten traced guest journeys, equipment usage exports and a log of where guests ask for directions. Reviews follow one, three and six months after opening, and any area that stays unused or any main aisle that keeps clogging is treated at once.

The full 2026 guide is published in Chinese; contact SPORTS ANT if you need it explained for your project.