The leisure sector is enjoying a revival after the crisis of the pandemic, and mezzanines have a part to play in giving brands much-valued versatility in their use of space.
Government levelling-up cash is being handed out for £20 million projects from Bradford in the north to the Forest of Dean in the south west, with new leisure centres that can include not only swimming pools but also libraries, dance studio, gyms and community hubs for residents to gain new skills.
The private sector in the leisure industry also has “a lot to be optimistic about” with “plenty of exciting opportunities for savvy occupiers”, according to estate agents Savills. It warns, however, that fast-growing leisure brands can face challenges in finding the perfect premises. Their response is to adapt their offer to match the real estate that is available.
This is where installing a mezzanine can transform the possibilities of a space.
Savills reports: “We expect to see established brands creating new concepts to suit the available supply of property – rather than finding a property suitable for an existing concept – to avoid a slowdown on their growth trajectory.”
Mezzanines offer retail brands huge versatility. With new leisure activities and experiences ranging from indoor clay target shooting to karaoke, clever use of existing premises is essential.
Here are our 5 top benefits of mezzanines for leisure:
- A brilliant solution for gyms. Hi-Level Mezzanines has become a specialist in mezzanines for gyms. Crucially, we have the expertise to overcome technical challenges. We produce specific designs for different gym environments, depending on whether the space will be used for cardio, for group activities or for free weights. For heavy weights we consider point loads and the impact of the weights on the mezzanine flooring, and we increase the stiffness of the floor to reduce deflection. Similarly, we stiffen floors for group activities such as dance to prevent “harmonic frequency” – the phenomenon when everyone moving in sync produces continuous vibration of the mezzanine steel. We use an unbraced design with no additional verticals between columns, deploying heavy-duty connections that transfer the load down into the slab. We even have a gym-ready floor tile called Hi-Tile. Conceived for use with robots, it is increasingly popular in gyms.
- Plenty of space for your core activity. For the Performance Preparation Academy, a musical theatre college offering courses in acting, teaching and musical theatre, in Guildford, Surrey, we installed one large single-tier mezzanine. It supports multiple studios and provides great space for students during their lectures, seminars and rehearsals. This is another example of Hi-Level solving technical obstacles. It was vital that our design had no columns obstructing studio rooms where students would perform. When tests showed the building’s foundation would not cope with the resulting point loads, our structural engineers achieved a creative solution involving smaller beams for better weight distribution.
- Alternative uses to generate secondary revenue. Mezzanines can create income-generating additional space such as a café on a viewing platform for trampoline parks and climbing venues. At Rockstar Climbing in Swindon the mezzanine does just that – it supports a café and viewing area for spectators watching family and friends on the climbing and bouldering walls. Rockstar has been able to increase its footprint and spectators now feel more part of the action in this thrilling facility. Our experts installed the mezzanine structure in just two days.
- Mezzanines open the way to multi-activity venues. We have just finished a project for a bouldering and climbing centre that will also have a fitness gym and crossfit training sessions. Another example of industry trends, although not a Hi-Level Mezzanines project, is how ten-pin bowling business Lane 7 has diversified to make better use of a substantial space it had acquired. The company opened its LevelX concept in the St Enoch Centre in Glasgow to suit a much bigger footprint than its usual venues, housing mini golf, VR arenas and arcade games alongside its original bowling concept. Installing a mezzanine gives operators the chance to maximise their square footage by expanding upwards to take advantage of all usable space. Mezzanines are a less expensive and less inconvenient option for growing businesses and brands seeking to diversify than moving to new premises. We can also install single-tier or multiple-tier mezzanines depending on each client’s needs.
- Tap into the aesthetic zeitgeist with a mezzanine. Mezzanine designs and floor coverings can be customised for each client. Often our clients in the leisure sector want an industrial look and our mezzanines fit the bill perfectly. We offer many different colours and floor materials but combine an urban aesthetic with superior quality: we supply a powder-coated finish as standard, not something that is the norm in mezzanine design and construction. A raw industrial style does not mean any compromise on safety, however. Far from it. All our mezzanine projects in the leisure sector meet the requirements for public spaces, notably balustrading around each tier with no gaps greater than 100mm to protect children.
If you’d like to know more about how mezzanine floors can benefit your leisure business, get in touch at sales@hi-level.co.uk or call 01730 237 190. .
