Sefardic batei knesset, and also many Ashkenazic shuls from old time Europe were designed so that all the seats faced the bimah. Obviously, that way all were facing the Torah. The sefardim do have a practice to never have their backs to the sifrei torah. I have a (sefardic) friend who in an ashkenazic shul is careful to sit behind the bimah so he never has his back to the sefer.
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