This is one reaction to the 'internationalness' of the Sydney Convention Centre:
Toilets.
Predictably after the long first session, there was a rush on the toilets. On
average men take 30 seconds to use the urinal, 15 seconds to wash hands and
another 25 seconds to dry hands thoroughly standing at the drying machine. Let’s say that women take twice
this for the first two uses.
At an estimate, there were about 1200 people using the level
3 toilets; lets divide that into 2, for the two sets and again into M and F;
300 people possibly wanting to use the toilets in the 20 minutes break.
For men, each toilet on the level should have 7 urinals (a
concession to less than 100% usage), and women should have 14 toilet cubicles.
Women might then need 7 hand basins and 7 driers in each toilet, men about half
that. But what did we have? Less than half that number, and long conjested queues for every service point in the toilets (urinal, basin, hand dryer).
The hand dryers need to be placed in cognizance of the
numbers and their flow; not placed in an awkward location that obstructs the
smooth flow of patrons. NOT ‘international’.
Men’s urinals need some modesty separation. Some ‘international’
hotels in Sydney provide small, but sufficient panels between them…just like in
international hotels I’ve experienced in other countries. Lack of them means
NOT ‘international’ and simply offensively undignified. I take no delight in
being splashed from an adjoining urinal.
Coffee
service. It was good that the milk was placed distant from the tea and
coffee service points. However, flow was awkward and there were insufficient
points, meaning that the foyer was full of queues snaking around each other: for toilets, drinks and food. To
serve the number comfortably probably requires 4 to 6 service points, with
rational flow to milk and sugar points. Food points should also be dispersed to
manage circulation.
Foyer. Needless
to say, movement in the crowded foyer was difficult. There were insufficient
seats available, by a factor of about 10. The foyer did not comfortably
accommodate the crowd, making it perilous to handle hot drinks, and therefore
uncomfortable and uneasy. NOT ‘international’.
