When Are Elevator Lobbies Required? What Architects Need to Know.

Ever wonder why elevator lobbies are required? They exist to keep smoke and gas from spreading through hoistways and to provide safe waiting and staging areas in an emergency. Read on to learn more

1. Introduction

An elevator lobby is first and foremost a life-safety space. Its primary function is to limit smoke & gas movement at hoistway openings so the shaft does not become a vertical smoke path. Lobbies achieve this through rated or smoke-resistant separations, protected openings, and the required mechanical and life-safety systems. Beyond their life-safety function, elevator lobbies also serve as the starting point for your next destination within the building, where safety, circulation, and everyday use meet.

When the lobby forms part of the accessible means of egress, it provides a protected place to wait and communicate for occupants who cannot immediately use stairs. In high-rise buildings, two specialized lobby types extend this role. Fire Service Access Elevator (FSAE) lobbies provide a smoke-protected interface for firefighter staging and access, with direct connection to an interior exit stair and prescribed minimum size and configuration. Occupant Evacuation Elevator (OEE) lobbies are sized to manage controlled evacuation and incorporate wheelchair spaces, offering a supervised assembly area while cars are dispatched.

When designed with that purpose in mind, the lobby should not read as an afterthought. It should look and perform as if it were always meant to be there, integrated with the core, corridors, finishes, lighting, wayfinding, and systems and signage.

Lobbies occur across most building types that use elevators, office, residential, hospitality, healthcare, education, civic, and mixed-use. Some conditions (for example, open parking structures) can be treated differently by local code or environmental conditions.

This article outlines the purpose, requirements, and design details of elevator lobbies and hoistways, when they are required, the protection strategies available, and how those choices affect sizing, configuration, and location.

2. Elevator Lobby Types

Elevator lobbies can serve multiple purposes. They may be open or enclosed, support fire department operations, be designed to assist egress, and handle passenger, service, or freight traffic. In healthcare settings, separate lobbies can be dedicated to patient transport, trauma/ED flows, AGVs, or staff movement. Common types include:

  • Passenger / Visitor Lobbies – Public‑facing spaces for everyday use; emphasize wayfinding, queue management, and accessibility while maintaining clear circulation and device zones.
  • Service / Staff Lobbies – Back‑of‑house or semi‑restricted areas sized for carts, gurneys, supplies, and maintenance access; prioritize durable finishes and separation from public routes.
  • Freight Elevator Lobbies – Staging and transfer points for pallets and equipment; protect impact zones and keep egress paths clear; often access‑controlled.
  • Fire Service Access Elevator (FSAE) Lobbies – Smoke‑protected interface for firefighter staging and access with direct connection to an interior exit stair; support equipment laydown and hose movement.
  • Occupant Evacuation Elevator (OEE) Lobbies – Managed assembly areas sized for controlled evacuation and wheelchair spaces; include communication and clear signage for procedures.
  • Healthcare‑Specific Lobbies
    • Patient Transport: accommodate stretcher turning and priority routing to clinical zones..
    • Trauma / Emergency: secure interfaces for rapid arrival and transfer; coordinate with access control, emergency equipment and heliport, if provided.
    • Staff: handle shift‑change surges; align with lockers/support areas and access control.
  • Residential / Hospitality / Education / Civic – Program‑driven variants (e.g., luggage carts and bell services in hotels; parcel/bike/stroller considerations in residential; class‑change surges in education) with security and wayfinding tailored to the user profile.

3. Enclosed Elevator Lobbies – When They Are Required (IBC 3006.2)

When do the rules apply?
You’re required to provide hoistway opening protection (IBC 3006.2) when all of the following apply:

  1. The elevator hoistway connects more than three stories (count all stories served, above and below grade); and
  2. The hoistway is required to be enclosed as a shaft (IBC 712.1.1: shaft enclosures for vertical openings, fire‑resistance‑rated, continuous, with protected openings) (confirm section number by edition; shaft enclosure requirements are in Chapter 713 in recent IBC editions); and
  3. Any one of the conditions below applies:
    • The building is not fully sprinklered (IBC 903.3.1.1/903.3.1.2).
    • Group I‑1, Condition 2 – assisted living/custodial care with 24‑hour staffing where occupants need staff assistance to evacuate.
    • Group I‑2 – hospitals, nursing/psychiatric facilities providing medical care on a 24‑hour basis.
    • Group I‑3 – detention/correctional facilities.
    • High‑rise where the hoistway height exceeds 75 ft (measured from the lowest to the highest floor served).

How can you comply? (IBC 3006.3) – You can comply by providing any one of the following options

  • Enclosed elevator lobby – construct a code‑compliant lobby separating the openings from adjacent spaces.
  • Opening protectives – provide smoke‑ and draft‑control assemblies at each hoistway door (including listed coiling/fabric systems) or additional doors at the opening. Where doors are provided, they must allow safe egress from the elevator side to prevent entrapment.
  • Hoistway pressurization – design engineered smoke control to keep smoke out of the shaft. Note: The IBC does not limit how tall a building can be when using hoistway pressurization, but in practice the system becomes more complex as height increases. Larger shafts introduce more leakage, higher fan energy demands, and greater testing burdens, at a certain point, enclosed lobbies may be the more practical solution

Key exceptions (IBC 3006.2)
Hoistway door opening protection, and, by extension, enclosed elevator lobbies per 3006.3 -is not required in the following cases. These exceptions are level‑ or condition‑specific; if an exception applies at one level, other levels must still comply where triggers are met.

  • Elevators serving only open parking garages (IBC 406.5).
  • The level of exit discharge where that level is sprinklered (IBC 903.3.1.1).
  • Levels where the hoistway opens directly to the exterior.

Note: Local amendments can modify triggers and accepted protection methods. Confirm edition and jurisdictional changes early with your elevator and code consultants.

Jurisdictional note – NYC (local amendment)
In New York City, elevators that serve four or more stories containing Group B space – inclusive of the lobby/entrance level, must provide elevator lobbies at every level served. This mandate is specific to NYC and is not part of the base IBC. Design teams should be aware of this requirement, especially when planning multi-floor atriums with unenclosed elevator lobbies.

Atrium note
An atrium’s smoke-control system (IBC 404) does not waive hoistway requirements in IBC 3006.2. If triggers are met, provide one of the 3006.3 options (enclosed lobby, opening protectives, or hoistway pressurization). Where FSAE (3007) or OEE (3008) are provided, enclosed lobbies are still required.

4. Requirements for Enclosed Elevator Lobbies (IBC Sections 3006.1 and 3006.3)

If enclosed elevator lobbies are required, the next step is to understand what compliance entails and how to document it. The summary below covers enclosure type, doors and openings, continuity of construction, permitted connections, sizing notes, acceptable alternatives, and area‑of‑refuge provisions.

Enclosure type

  • In buildings equipped throughout with sprinklers (now common in most jurisdictions), the lobby may be enclosed with smoke partitions (non‑rated) where permitted by the code.
  • In non‑sprinklered buildings, the lobby must be separated from adjacent spaces by 1‑hour fire partitions.

Doors and openings

  • Provide smoke‑ and draft‑control door assemblies at lobby entrances; doors shall be self‑ or automatic‑closing upon detection/alarm and limit air leakage per the applicable standard. All‑glass doors and sidelights are acceptable when they comply with these requirements.
  • Hoistway rating vs. elevator doors: The hoistway is a fire‑resistance‑rated shaft, but the elevator entrance (door, frame, and sill) is not a tight barrier, clearances at sills, guides, and panels allow leakage. For code purposes the entrance is treated as an opening, which is why §3006.3 permits additional protection methods when required.
  • Maintain required clear widths and maneuvering for accessibility; do not reduce required egress width with queuing or devices.

Continuity of the enclosure

  • Partitions shall be continuous from the floor to the underside of the floor/roof above (or to the ceiling where permitted for smoke partitions) with sealed joints and protected penetrations so the lobby functions as a smoke compartment.

Connections and access

  • The lobby should open only to the elevator(s) and the adjacent exit access (corridor or other code‑permitted space); avoid unprotected openings that compromise the enclosure.

Size

  • The base IBC does not prescribe a minimum size for standard enclosed elevator lobbies. Minimum areas apply only to specific cases (see FSAE lobbies – IBC 3007.6, OEE lobbies – IBC 3008.6, underground buildings – IBC 405.4.3, areas of refuge – IBC 1009.6).

Cross-reference

  • For alternate hoistway-opening protection methods permitted by IBC 3006.3 (opening protectives or hoistway pressurization), see How can you comply? (IBC 3006.3) above.

If used as an area of refuge

  • In buildings equipped throughout with sprinklers, an area of refuge is typically not required. Where an enclosed elevator lobby is designated to serve as an area of refuge, it must comply with Section 1009.6.
  • Two‑way communication: Provide at the elevator landing on each accessible floor where the elevator serves as part of the accessible means of egress (IBC 1009.8), whether or not the lobby is used as an area of refuge.

Coordination note

Enclosed Lobby w/ lighting at the sill/landing.
  • Confirm edition and local amendments with your elevator and code consultants; detailing varies by jurisdiction and project conditions.
  • Lighting at Elevator Doors
    Make sure elevator landings and thresholds are properly lit. Codes such as ASME A17.1 and accessibility standards require at least 100 lux (10 footcandles) at the car sill/landing threshold, with enough light to read controls and signage. Check the exact edition your project is under, since requirements can vary slightly..

5. Elevator Openings onto Rated Corridors (IBC 3006.2.1)

Quick note: when a corridor is required to be fire‑resistance rated, any elevator hoistway doors opening onto it must be protected per IBC 3006.3. Choose the protection approach early so corridor continuity, required egress width, and door swings remain compliant.
When it applies

  • Where corridors are required to be fire‑resistance rated (see IBC Table 1020.1), elevator hoistway door openings that open onto those corridors must be protected per IBC 3006.3.

Design notes

  • If using an enclosed lobby as the protection method, maintain corridor continuity (IBC 1020.6).
  • If using opening protectives or hoistway pressurization, ensure required corridor ratings and smoke performance are preserved at the opening. Dead-end limits (IBC 1020.4) are especially relevant where no enclosed lobby is provided, verify corridor length-to-width ratios and add cross-connections where needed. Coordinate with the mechanical engineer on leakage at elevator door/frame gaps when sizing pressurization or smoke‑control fans. Brush/edge seals can reduce leakage but should not be solely relied upon.
  • Coordinate with Exit Passageways (IBC 1024)
    Elevator hoistways are not permitted to open directly into an exit passageway. However, an enclosed elevator lobby may serve as the connection between the hoistway and the exit passageway. In planning, confirm that the transition from the corridor into the higher-rated passageway complies with separation, door swing, and continuity requirements.
IBC 1020.4 Dead End Conditions

6. Exit Access Through Enclosed Elevator Lobbies (IBC 1016.2, Exception 1)

Quick note: this clause lets a sprinklered building route exit access through an enclosed elevator lobby when planning constraints leave few alternatives. The lobby still has to function as a smoke‑resistive space, keep required widths, continuity, and door behavior intact under load.

  • Permitted to route exit access through an enclosed lobby when the building is sprinklered and the lobby is separated from adjacent spaces by smoke partitions and arranged to maintain required egress widths.
  • Maintain corridor continuity (IBC 1020.6) and dead‑end compliance (IBC 1020.4); ensure queuing or devices do not reduce the required clear width.
  • Cross-corridor doors: swing in the direction of egress travel; where two-way flow is expected, use pairs with opposing swings to keep the path clear.

7. Fire Service Access Elevator (FSAE) Lobbies – (IBC 3007.6)

Quick note: FSAE lobbies provide a tenable, smoke‑protected interface for firefighters traveling to a staging level, typically one or two floors below the fire.

Curtesy of ICC
  • Purpose: firefighter access/staging in high‑rise conditions.
  • Sprinklers: building equipped throughout with an automatic sprinkler system.
  • Lobby enclosure: 1‑hour smoke barrier construction.
  • Size: ≥150 sq ft with a minimum clear dimension of 8 ft.
  • Access and hose advance: direct, protected access from the lobby to an interior exit stair with a standpipe. The exit enclosure containing the standpipe must also provide a second door to the floor so crews can advance a hose line without passing through the FSAE lobby, preserving lobby tenability.
  • Water protection: provide an approved means to prevent water from entering the hoistway/equipment (e.g., threshold drainage/ slab pitch measures per code and standard practice).
  • Other provisions: Provide illumination within the hoistway.

8. Occupant Evacuation Elevator (OEE) Lobbies – (IBC 3008.6)

Quick note: OEE can be incorporated in multi‑story buildings to augment egress. Section 3008 sets the technical requirements. In practice, OEE are most often considered for very tall buildings where stairs alone are challenging; in buildings (other than Group R‑2) over 420 ft in height, IBC 403 permits OEE in lieu of the otherwise required additional interior exit stair.

  • Purpose: managed occupant evacuation using passenger elevators.
  • Sprinklers: building equipped throughout with an automatic sprinkler system.
  • Lobby enclosure: 1‑hour smoke barrier construction.
  • Size: provide floor area to accommodate 25% of the floor occupant load at 3 sf/person.
  • Accessibility: provide one 30″ × 48″ wheelchair space per 50 persons in the calculated lobby capacity.
  • Water protection: provide an approved means to prevent water from entering the hoistway/equipment.
  • Power and control: standby power; status/communication, instructions, and monitoring per Section 3008 (beyond lobby scope).

9. Underground Buildings – Elevator Lobbies (IBC 405.4.3)

Quick note: Underground buildings present distinct life‑safety challenges due to depth, limited access, and smoke management. Floors more than 60 feet below grade are compartmentalized to limit fire and smoke spread; elevator interfaces must reinforce that strategy.

  • When required: Where an elevator serves more than one smoke compartment on levels more than 60 ft below grade, provide an enclosed elevator lobby for the elevator(s) that is separated from both compartments.
  • Purpose: Maintain compartment integrity and prevent smoke migration through hoistway openings.
  • Construction: Build the lobby in accordance with IBC 405.4.3 for underground buildings; ensure barrier rating, continuity, and protected penetrations match the compartment design.
  • Coordination: Align lobby placement with compartment boundaries and egress routes; confirm any pressurization or smoke‑control interactions at doors and openings.

10. Elevator Lobby Sizing: Summary of Findings

Here’s where it all comes together: what the code requires, what real-world practice has shown, and where professional judgment makes the difference in setting elevator lobby dimensions.

  • No universal prescription for passenger lobbies: Model codes do not set specific dimensions for typical passenger lobbies. Accessibility standards govern reach and maneuvering at devices/doors, not lobby size.
  • AGS diagrams are not authoritative: Architectural Graphic Standards shows cab‑depth multiples for lobby size but does not cite primary elevator/code sources. Treat those figures as anecdotal starting points, not standards.
  • Where sizes are prescribed: Only in special cases, FSAE lobbies (≥150 sf and ≥8 ft clear), OEE lobbies (area for 25% of floor occupant load at 3 sf/person + wheelchair spaces), and underground‑building interfaces (per 405.4.3). Owner/agency standards (e.g., VA) may also set minimums.
  • Practical starting bands (contextual): Opposing banks commonly begin around 10–12 ft cross‑aisle; single‑bank lobbies 8–10 ft; service/mixed‑use 12–14 ft. Adjust up or down based on car count, door pitch, dispatch type, baggage/carts, and whether the lobby lies on an exit path.
  • Real‑world precedent varies: High‑demand, open‑ended layouts can function acceptably at narrower widths when flow is not trapped (e.g., double‑loaded banks with clear outlets). Precedent should inform, not dictate.
  • Key adjusters: building use and peak patterns; security controls (turnstiles/screening lanes, provide bypass and queue zones outside required egress); destination‑dispatch devices (provide their own zone); accessibility maneuvering and approach to controls; stretcher movement (plan an 8‑0 clear turning area where applicable); adjacency to exit access (preserve required widths; mind dead‑end limits when no enclosed lobby is used).
  • Systems coordination: If using pressurization or smoke control, account for leakage at elevator door/frame gaps; brush/edge seals help but are not a sole solution.
  • Local rules prevail: Jurisdictional amendments (e.g., NYC Group B/4‑story lobby mandate) and owner standards take precedence, verify early with your elevator and code consultants.
  • Simulation as a cross-check: For higher‑risk programs or complex banks, use pedestrian/egress tools (e.g., MassMotion, LEGION, Pathfinder, Viswalk, AnyLogic) to test queue depth, density, and wait times; refine width/depth and device placement accordingly.

10. Final Thoughts

Elevator lobbies, and the core around them, set the planning logic of the building. Make it a team effort: bring your elevator and code consultants in early and keep structural, MEP, and life‑safety partners engaged. Codes evolve; track current editions and cross‑check IBC, NFPA 101, and ASME A17.1 (plus local amendments) as the design develops. Align on the essentials, document them clearly, and let equipment specifics follow.

Get the lobby geometry right early; everything else performs better because of it.

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