N.Y. Multiple Dwelling Law § 149: Public halls

§ 149. Public halls. 1. Every public hall shall be everywhere at least

three feet in clear width.

2. Every public hall shall be completely enclosed with fireproof

floor, ceiling and walls, and, in dwellings erected under plans filed in

the department after September first, nineteen hundred fifty-one, such

hall shall be separated from every stair by fireproof partitions or

walls. All doors and their assemblies opening from such hall or stairs

shall be fireproof, with the doors self-closing and without transoms,

except that in a dwelling three stories or less in height occupied by

not more than four families on each story, or in a class A dwelling or

any section thereof two stories or less in height, any such hall which

furnishes access to only one stair need not be separated from such stair

by any partition or door and the walls of a public hall may be

fire-retarded and the floors may be provided with three inches or more

of incombustible deafening materials between the beams instead of being

fireproof.

3. Except in dwellings three stories or less in height and occupied by

two families or less on every story, and except as provided in

subdivisions four to seven inclusive, every public hall shall have at

least one window opening directly upon a street or upon a lawful yard or

court. There shall be such a window at the end of each such hall and at

right angles to its length, with an additional window in each forty feet

of hall or fraction thereof beyond the first sixty feet from such end

window; or the hall shall have one window opening directly upon a street

or upon a lawful yard or court in every forty feet of its length or

fraction thereof measured from one end of the hall.

4. When the length of any recess or return off a public hall does not

exceed twice the width of such recess or return, no window shall be

required therein. But whenever the length of a recess or return exceeds

twice its width, there shall be an additional window or windows meeting

the requirements for a separate public hall. No entrance hall shall have

a return or recess which exceeds in length twice its width.

5. The foregoing provisions of this section with regard to lighting

and ventilation shall not apply to a vestibule or other public hall

which serves as a means of access from one or more apartments opening

thereon to a fire-stair or fire-tower meeting the requirements of

section one hundred forty-four if such vestibule or public hall is

lighted and ventilated as required for fireproof dwellings by sections

thirty-seven and one hundred seven.

6. The foregoing provisions of this section with regard to lighting

and ventilation shall not apply to that portion of an entrance hall

between the first flight of stairs and the entrance provided the

entrance door contains five square feet or more of glazed surface or

such entrance hall does not extend from the outer entrance of the

dwelling more than sixty feet.

7. A passenger elevator vestibule not exceeding in length twice the

parallel length of the elevator shaft or shafts opening into it need not

be equipped with a window if it conforms to the requirements of sections

thirty-seven and one hundred seven for public halls in fireproof

multiple dwellings. Every door and its assembly separating such a

vestibule from any public hall connected with a stair, fire-stair or

fire-tower shall be fireproof, with the door self-closing and glazed

with good quality wire glass ten square feet or more in area. No such

door shall be kept open by any device whatever.

8. Any part of a public hall that is shut off from any other part of

such hall by a door or doors shall be deemed a separate hall.