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The Effect of Public Building Entrance Hierarchy on User Orientation

Abstract

The entrance of a public building serves as an important point of transition between the external environment and the internal organization of the facility. The hierarchy established among main entrances, secondary entrances, service entrances, and access points can influence how users understand the building and identify appropriate routes to their destinations. In complex public buildings, unclear entrance hierarchy may result in confusion, unnecessary movement, congestion, and difficulty locating key services. Understanding the relationship between entrance organization and user orientation is therefore important for improving the functionality and usability of public buildings. This study examines the effect of public building entrance hierarchy on user orientation, with emphasis on how entrance configuration influences users' ability to understand and navigate building environments. Factors such as entrance prominence, location, scale, visibility, accessibility, signage, architectural expression, and relationship to internal circulation routes are considered. The study investigates how users identify primary and secondary entrances and how these distinctions affect their initial understanding of the building layout. It also considers the influence of entrance hierarchy on first-time and regular building users. The research further explores the relationship between entrance design and wayfinding. A clearly defined main entrance that provides direct visual connections to reception areas, circulation routes, and major destinations may improve users' spatial understanding. Architectural elements such as canopies, portals, changes in scale, material differentiation, lighting, landscaping, and signage can reinforce the identity and hierarchy of different entrances. The effectiveness of these features is considered in relation to users' ability to make decisions and move confidently through the building. In addition, the study considers how entrance hierarchy interacts with accessibility and user diversity. Elderly users, persons with disabilities, visitors unfamiliar with the building, staff, and service personnel may have different orientation requirements. The relationship between pedestrian approaches, parking areas, drop-off points, reception spaces, vertical circulation, and major internal destinations is therefore examined. A well-integrated entrance hierarchy should provide clear and equitable access while reducing conflicts between different categories of users. Despite the importance of entrance hierarchy, some public buildings may have multiple entrances with similar visual prominence, poorly positioned access points, inadequate signage, or weak connections between entrances and internal circulation systems. These conditions can make it difficult for users to determine where to enter and which route to follow. The study therefore highlights the importance of combining architectural expression, spatial organization, visibility, signage, and circulation planning to create entrances that support intuitive orientation. The study aims to assess how entrance hierarchy influences user orientation in public buildings and identify design factors that contribute to clearer and more understandable entrance systems. The findings are expected to provide useful guidance for architects, planners, and facility managers in developing public buildings that support efficient wayfinding and positive user experiences. By establishing a clear relationship between entrance hierarchy and internal spatial organization, public buildings can become easier to understand, navigate, and access.

Keywords: Entrance hierarchy, public buildings, user orientation, wayfinding, entrance design, spatial organization, building entrances, circulation, architectural expression, signage, accessibility, visual connectivity, spatial legibility, user experience.