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THERE'S MORE ROOM TO ROCK At The Electric Factory Custom-Manufactured 4-Tiered Mezzanine Solves Concert Hall's Space Needs "It's a cool hang!" That's how many people describe the Electric Factory, one of the premier nightclubs in Philadelphia, PA. It features a relaxed party atmosphere and up-and-coming bands, as well as established stars like David Bowie, Tori Amos and Blues Traveler. Many of the club's patrons find that the best place to see and hear the featured musical groups while enjoying their favorite beverage is on the freestanding, four-level mezzanine that's located directly across from the stage.  The recently installed, custom-designed mezzanine not only offers perfect sight lines to the stage, but it also provides more space for the club's guests to spread out and enjoy the show. At the same time, the mezzanine plays an important role in helping the club's staff to strictly control liquor sales during shows that attract audiences of all ages. The custom multi-level mezzanine was manufactured by Schmidt Structural Products, the oldest manufacturer of mezzanines in the country. Schmidt is headquartered in Oaks, PA. The Electric Factory purchased the mezzanine from Jim Westhead, an area dealer that also designed and installed the freestanding structure for the club. "The mezzanine has added a whole new dimension to the club," says Mike McNally, director of operations at the Electric Factory. "It has actually enhanced the vibe of the facility in addition to helping us meet our space objectives." Perfect Solution To Congested Bar Area Before the four-tiered mezzanine was installed, the club's guests were mostly confined to the floor-level area located below the stage. While the club did have an existing single-level mezzanine running across one side of the room, it provided only enough space for the long bar, plus a limited number of additional bar stools situated near the mezzanine's handrail. Access to the mezzanine is limited to patrons 21 years and older, and anyone with a drink in hand is not permitted to leave the mezzanine. "When we have an act that attracts mostly an older crowd, the bar area mezzanine isn't nearly big enough to meet our needs," says McNally. Westhead suggested a solution that would provide more space and further improve sight lines from the mezzanine to the stage. Westhead explained that the Electric Factory is located inside an old brick building that many years ago was the home of book depository, and at another time held the largest metal shop in the city. The room now housing the concert area is huge, with the ceiling located far above the ground. The ceiling height permitted the installation of an 18-foot-high, multi-level mezzanine that would better meet the needs of the club's bar patrons. At the same time, the multi-level design would allow for sufficient clearance beneath the mezzanine so that guests on the ground level would still have a clear view of the stage. Westhead's design called for the freestanding Schmidt mezzanine to provide access to the main bar area via the existing stairway. The original design depicted only a three-level mezzanine. But, when it was determined that a second stairway would be needed close to the fire escape, Westhead modified the design to include the stairway and a fourth, but smaller, 16' x 16' foot mezzanine level that is now used as the VIP section. The entire four-level mezzanine provides approximately 1600 square feet of usable space. The mezzanine can accommodate up to 200 people during a concert. Many Custom Features  Supporting the mezzanine are sturdy steel columns that are bolted into plates on the room's concrete floor. "When we first went out to the job site and shot the floor with a transit, we found it was not level," says Westhead. "Rather than use shims to accommodate height differences, we decided it was safer to go with the custom-built columns that Schmidt then produced for us."
The Schmidt mezzanine also includes several other custom features. For example, its flooring is concrete rather than corrugated B-deck or diamond-plate steel. Westhead later added step-up platforms to each mezzanine level. They allow concert audiences to easily see the stage over the heads of others in the audience. Instead of its standard 42-inch high, two-rail industrial handrail system with kick plate, Schmidt provided a vertical baluster system on four inch centers that ensures an extra measure of public safety. McNally later added a bar rail to the balusters, and placed a portable bar on the mezzanine to help alleviate congestion at the facility's main bar area. "The Schmidt mezzanine gives us the flexibility we need to better serve our guests," says McNally. Generally, installing such a mezzanine would take about eight days to complete, but in this instance it took three weeks because Westhead had to accomplish the installation around the Electric Factory's hectic concert schedule. Previous Experience With Mezzanines  McNally also oversees facility operations at the TLA, another Philadelphia-area concert hall operated by Electric Factory Concerts, Inc. Prior to the mezzanine installation at the Electric Factory, he contracted Westhead to install a simple two-level mezzanine at the TLA. As with the Electric Factory, the purpose of the mezzanine is to provide more space for guests and tight control of bar sales by the staff.
While the TLA is much smaller in size than the Electric Factory, Westhead says that this mezzanine installation in many ways proved much more difficult to accomplish. First, the club is situated on a busy street in the heart of the city, which presented special material handling issues. "There's no loading dock at the building," says Westhead, "so we had to arrive at the club at five in the morning to cordon off the area and dolly in all the components through the front entrance." Once inside, the crew needed to set up temporary lighting because the TLA is windowless and dimly lit, much like a movie theater, which in fact it once was. Westhead says that the extreme pitch of the floor dictated the use of custom-length support columns for the mezzanine. For the TLA's mezzanine Schmidt provided corrugated bead deck floors with fire-retardant plywood, which McNally later finished with floor covering. The handrail system is Schmidt's standard industrial two-rail security system. McNally says that he is extremely pleased with the quality of the two freestanding Schmidt mezzanines, and the design capabilities and workmanship of Westhead. Furthermore, he plans to add another Schmidt mezzanine to the Electric Factory in the near future. |
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