The Mezzanine is one of the Royal Institution's most contemporary event spaces with its clean lines, glass balcony and impressive views over the Atrium.
The focal point of the room is a ceiling installation of 69 scientific instruments from the Spottiswoode collection which creates an intriguing talking point for your guests.
Today, the Mezzanine acts as a sensational space to engage guests whilst showcasing the history behind modern science. It is the perfect venue to hire for networking events or as a conference breakout space, offering a stylish addition to your event experience in Mayfair.
History & Heritage
Before a major building refurbishment in 2008, the Mezzanine was an operational chemical laboratory and part of the Davy Faraday Research Laboratory (DFRL). Initially, the roof of this dynamic space was clear to allow light into the area and the Laboratories in the lower-ground floor.
Some of the most significant chemical discoveries from Professors of the Royal Institution included Davy's isolation of sodium and the declaration of chlorine as an unidentified element. Sodium, chlorine and iodine and just three of the elements discovered here and each has played a key role in modern society, including iodine’s revolution of medical sanitation, saving lives and increasing life expectancy.
The spiralling sculpture hanging from the Mezzanine ceiling consists of 69 scientific objects from the Spottiswoode Collection, part of the Faraday Museum’s collection of scientific instruments. William Spottiswoode worked with his father for the Queen's Printer, Eyre and Spottiswoode (now Eyre Methuen) before becoming fascinated with experimental physics and researched light polarisation. He was Treasurer of the Royal Institution from 1865, before becoming Secretary in 1873.
In 1899, 16 years after Spottiswoode's death, his son Hugo donated his father's fascinating collection of scientific instruments as a gift commemorating the centenary of the Royal Institution’s founding. In 2008, this dramatic ceiling structure comprising of some of Spottiswoode's collection was installed, and it remains a focal point of the Royal Institution’s Mezzanine space for your guests to enjoy.