Enhancing Wayfinding and Fire Egress Systems in Entertainment Centres: Comparative Study of Nigerian and International Cases

Abstract

Entertainment centres are increasingly common features of contemporary urban life, bringing together leisure, retail, dining, and cultural functions within single, high-occupancy facilities. Because these spaces host large and diverse crowds with varying degrees of familiarity, effective wayfinding and fire egress design are essential to both user experience and life safety. This study investigates how these two systems can be architecturally integrated, drawing on a qualitative comparative case study approach that examines one Nigerian facility, Twinwaters Entertainment Centre in Lagos, alongside three internationally recognised precedents: Ferrari World Abu Dhabi, Entertainment City Manila, and Shanghai Disneyland. Evidence was gathered through architectural documentation, observational assessment, and a review of relevant regulatory and design literature. The findings show that facilities characterised by clear spatial hierarchy, strong visual connectivity, and well-integrated circulation networks achieve superior navigation efficiency and evacuation performance. However, the analysis also reveals that the international cases accomplish this integration largely through resource-intensive mechanisms, such as performance-based fire engineering, digital wayfinding infrastructure, and dedicated environmental graphic design, that assume levels of capital investment and regulatory enforcement not consistently available within the Nigerian development context. Twinwaters, by contrast, relies heavily on signage and staff-guided navigation, exposing a wider gap between local practice and global standards. To address this gap, the study proposes a Low-Cost Architectural Integration (LCAI) strategy: an approach that achieves spatial legibility and egress alignment through layout, massing, and material decisions made at the design stage, rather than through added technology or signage. Adopting this strategy is anticipated to reduce dependence on signage and staff intervention, align everyday circulation with emergency egress routes, and improve user orientation and evacuation readiness at minimal additional capital cost, particularly within resource-constrained, emerging urban contexts.