What Can We Learn from the History of Mezzanine Floors
While mezzanine floors may look modern and cutting edge, they have a rich history of being used in the royal Italian architecture of the 18th century.
These baroque structures may seem about as far away as you can get from the warehouse mezzanine floors that we see today, but they were usually created with a similar purpose in mind.
Royal Italian Architecture
The term mezzanine is an English adaptation of the original Italian term, ‘mezzanino’, so it’s no wonder that the mezzanine floor was first conceived in Italy.
Following many years of renaissance advancements in Italy, arts and culture were more prevalent than they had ever been. Amphitheatres and auditoriums were the perfect setting to watch a play or live performance. These structures were large and roomy, so to create more room for seating, the first mezzanine floors were constructed. Today, the term mezzanine is still used for the lowest balcony in a theatre.
These mezzanine floors were found to be very successful ways of creating more space in large structures, and they became common throughout Italy and France.
Elegantly crafted mezzanines became prominent in the palaces and mansions of royalty.
The Modern Mezzanine Floor
The modern mezzanine floor is a versatile thing, coming in many different styles for many different uses.
Just like the mezzanines of old, today’s mezzanines are principally used to create more space in large structures.
One of their main uses today is in industrial warehouses. These structures are generally steel add-ons and serve as raised platforms separate from the greater warehouse structure. Most commonly used for storage, these mezzanines can be custom designed to specifically match the size of the warehouse, or they can come in standardised sizes.
Some mezzanine floors are fully modular and can be placed and removed as necessary.
Other mezzanine floors are built-in, like the ones of old Italy. Architects make use of mezzanine floors not only for practical space, but also to create more light and space than a regular floor would allow for. A mezzanine floor can also be utilised to make rooms with high ceilings feel more personal and less empty.
If a mezzanine is used for more than just item storage, it must meet building safety certifications. These certifications apply if a mezzanine is either built-in or if it's a later add-on.
Warehouse Safety Solutions
At Warehouse Safety Solutions, we specialise in keeping your warehouse accident-free. If you’re looking to install a mezzanine floor Melbourne-wide, ensure that it's safe for your staff. For more information on installing a mezzanine floor Melbourne-wide, contact Warehouse Safety Solutions today.