Balustrade, the word is coined from 17th century Italian dialect Balustrade. It is called as such because it resembles the shape of bulbous items like pomegranate flower. Balustrades are a very commonly used item in decoration and construction. One can encounter them while standing anywhere, on streets, on stations, on buildings, etc.
Balustrades are nothing but the lining underneath the railing of the staircase or on the roof of a building. They can be used in many places and have multiple functions. These are also used on the terrace to safeguard people from falling down. These can also be seen on the railing of toddlers’ bed. Now you can find some designer balustrades online and you can also customize them according to your needs.
History of Balustrades The examples of balustrade in the architectural concept of design can be seen very early, between 7th to 13th centuries B.C. They were evident in the palaces of Assyria where the windows were decorated with them. This type of architectural designs was unknown to both Romans and Greeks. However, these kinds of structures can be seen in the furniture designs of those times.
Balustrades started to become popular in the late 16th Structures of those times are evident about this fact as they could be seen on palaces and buildings. A famous architect of those times, Rudolf Wittkower suggested the design of baluster. Then it came into use in the antique designs and structures of stairway and rooftops.
Chinese style of architecture also features balustrade in their designs. In China, these can be found in places likes gardens. The motive behind the design of balustrade generally depicted dragons in various forms and shapes.
Balusters and Balustrades differences
Both of them are very evident in the style of architecture today. But there is not much of a difference between a Baluster and a Balustrade. A balustrade consists of many balusters placed evenly and connected with a top and bottom railing. A baluster is just one single piece of decoration that can be designed in various ways.
Today, there are various styles and designs of balustrade in the market. You can find different types of balustrades made by wood, marble, glass, steel, etc. With time the complexities of balustrades have also risen to new levels and are molded in various shapes and sizes.
Different uses of Balustrade Looking into the style and method of creativity which is achieved today, balustrade is being used in many ways. They are not just confined to being an attachment in the stairway but they are also used as one single piece. A single baluster is used as a piece of decoration at various places.
Pillars of palaces, houses, buildings are also designed in the shape of a balustrade. These balustrades can be used in different places for different purposes.
The wooden balustrade can be put into a cradle so that the baby doesn’t fall off. Glass balustrades are used in office buildings and stairway.
Steel balustrades are generally used in houses on the stairway and also on the terrace. It is also used in fencing the exterior of the house with a beautiful design at the front. The basic purpose of balustrade is protection. They are put on the rooftops so that no one could fall off the roof and acts as a barrier. The usage of balustrade is very vast and can be used in any form of shape. You need to install these balustrades on your poolside also because these balustrades will work as guardrails. For more details, you can search these balustrades online and contact with their manufacturers or designers.