I made an aircraft carrier control panel pedestal bolted onto a media center, but I modified the pinball peninsula under the trackball to be as wide as a pinball machine, about 22 inches. I don't see the point of having pinball buttons that are 3 feet apart.
As for the total width of the panel, for larger adults, you probably need at least 16 inches per player. Basically, the players on the wings will sit mostly along the sides, perpendicular to the screen, if that makes sense.
I would recommend planning on at least a 48 inch wide panel. Mock it up with cardboard. Invite players over to test it out. I guess the pandemic makes it more difficult, but it's a necessary step, because you don't want to be stuck with a huge control panel that doesn't really work for your players.
For my panel, I prioritized having four joysticks positioned to comfortably play 2 player SmashTV and Total Carnage. The 4 player support was an added bonus and, like everyone else with 4 player setups, I rarely get even 2 players, especially these days. But I already had the hardware and the space in my house, so it worked out well.
In summary, make a list of games you want to play and design your panel to make those games playable. Mock up and test with actual people before building.
Good luck!