Hidden Platform Lift at 200 Gray’s Inn Road

Owned by The Great Ropemaker Partnership, a 50:50 venture between Great Portland Estates plc and Ropemaker Properties Ltd (part of the BP Pension Fund Ltd), 200 Gray’s Inn Road is situated in the heart of the Capital between the City of London and the West End. The area, close to Clerkenwell and St Pancras, is home to a wide range of media and tech companies. Mace were contracted to carry out the refurbishment of the reception and main entrance. We worked with Mace and the architect to discuss the different disabled access options available in the reception area. We decided the best option was to design and install a hidden platform lift. The hidden platform lift would provide disabled access but would disappear into the ground with only the stainless steel trim visible. This type of platform lift is extremely popular in commercial buildings where architects are looking for a continuation of materials and design across a whole project.

The majority of the offices at 200 Gray’s Inn Road is made up of open plan common workspace and several large newsrooms for the occupiers. The lift itself is situated in the centre of the lobby and provides access across the split level lobby design. The lift rises a total of 360mm across the 3 steps in the reception with a traverse of 900mm. The platform measures 1180mm x 1500mm which allows large wheelchair and even electric buggies to use it. The rated load of the hidden platform lift is 385kg. The architect decided to finish the lift with the same stone as the rest of the reception. The reception was opened in October 2018 with additional work on the ground floor being carried out into 2019.

Outdoor Wheelchair Lift for Elm Yard, Elm Street

We were asked by Mace to supply and fit an outdoor wheelchair lift for an office refurbishment that they were contracted for. Elm Yard, owned by The Great Ropemaker Partnership, a 50:50 venture between Great Portland Estates plc and Ropemaker Properties Ltd (part of the BP Pension Fund Ltd), is situated on Elm Street between Gray’s Inn Road and Exmouth Market in central London. The new collaborative workspace boasts over 50,000 sq ft across 12 floors of premium offices in the heart of one of London’s most vibrant districts. Clerkenwell is a stylish area of London with an abundance of creative and technology companies. Office space in the district is usually made up of refurbished Victorian townhouses and industrial warehouses. We met with the Project Manager in order to discuss the different options available. We decided the best option would be an outdoor wheelchair lift on the left hand side of the steps that would provide access to the newly built reception.

Mace wanted the lift to be able to withstand consistent daily use as well as look stylish against the new refurbishment. We chose to install a lift that has three glass sides as well as a glass gate. The prominence of glass matches the reception and gives the lift a very modern look. The structural components of the outdoor wheelchair lift were made out of stainless steel which looks great as well as preventing any rust or damage to the lift over the time. The stainless steel even matches the adjacent hand rails to give a sleek consistent finish. The lift travels over 500mm with platform dimensions of 900mm x 1400mm. Its rated load is 280kg which means it can take even the heaviest of electric buggies.

Platform Lifts at the National Army Museum

We were approached by BDP, the architecture firm responsible for the £23.75 million redevelopment of the National Army Museum in London. They were looking to fit platform lifts within the museum so visitors would be able to access every part of the museum and make full use of the new services. The refurbishment completely modernised the museum and they wanted a trio of platform lifts that would match the new look of the museum. The locations that they needed to fit platform lifts were from the main reception to the education centre, to the Discover More gallery and for staff from outside the building to access the lower basement entrance.

We designed and installed a platform lift between the main reception and education centre. This lift is mainly used for groups and school pupils who visit the museum and use the education centre. The education centre is a great tool where large groups can learn about British history from the Civil War up to the present day conflicts. The lift was finished in stainless steel with glass panels to match the newly refurbished modern look of the building and the travel distance was 1.8 metres.

We fitted and installed a platform lift for access to the Discover More gallery, it was also finished in stainless steel and glass to suit the new aesthetics of the building. The cabin length of 1650mm allows both a large wheelchair or mobility scoot and carer to easily and safely use the lift. The platform lift travels just 980mm but can hold a load of up to 300kg.

The third lift we designed and installed was for staff access from outside the building to the lower basement floor. The outdoor platform lift was finished in RAL 7016 painted steel with a travel distance of 1180mm. The platform lift that the client wanted was a cost effective product that would withstand any adverse weather conditions that could be thrown at it. The lift would provide disabled access for staff and workers at the National Army Museum.

All three lifts were fitted within 2 weeks and were ready for the National Army Museum's Grand Opening in March 2017.

Inclined Platform Lift in Grade II Listed Waterworks

We were approached by Blackbottle Ltd, a building contractor, as they were looking to install a number of lifts at a site in Hampton. Blackbottle is responsible for the renovation and refurbishment of a Grade II listed Victorian waterworks located on the banks of the River Thames in Hampton. They are in the process of building several scientific research laboratories as well as premium office space for small, scientific-based businesses within the waterworks. The first lift that Blackbottle were looking to install was an inclined platform lift in the "Boilerhouse." We are specialists in the installation of inclined platform lifts in listed buildings and have fitted a number around the country therefore we know that getting the right product and style is paramount.

We designed and installed an inclined platform lift with a platform measuring 800m x 1200mm and a load capacity of 300kg with the lift travelling 1500mm up 5 steps. The large platform space allows for both electric-powered wheelchairs as well as smaller manual wheelchairs for visitors and workers of the businesses within the building.

Glass Lift for Offices at Meriden Hall

We were approached by Hasker Architects who were designing a new glass office building attached to the Grade II listed Meriden Hall. E Manton were the principal contractors running the construction of the new build - they are one of the leading building contractors within the Midlands and take on projects in both the private and public sectors. Hasker Architects are an architectural practice based in Solihull with projects nationwide, their projects vary from one-off houses to multimillion pound industrial projects. For this particular project, the architect wanted a lift for offices which were spread across the two floors in the newly constructed building. The lift was to be finished in pinned glass as to match the building's external facade.

We installed an enclosed platform lift within its own structure in the stairwell leading up to 1st floor. The lift's cabin measured 1400mm x 1100mm with the total travel distance between the floors measuring 4 metres. The safe working load for this lift is 400kg which equals 5 people. The lift's structure was finished in RAL colour 7015 with pinned glass on all four sides and two points of entry from the same side. The lift was fitted with double automatic glass doors on both floors. Tiles were fitted on both the lift platform and in the lift shaft under the lift, these aligned with the existing tiled flooring on both floors. We were also asked to design and install a custom made steel handrail to match the existing handrail on the other side of the stairs. Working with a local metal fabricator we created a steel handrail which was fitted through the panes of glass onto the lift's steel structure to complete an impressive look.

24 Chiswell Street

We were approached by Como part of the Mace Group as they were undertaking major refurbishment of Cat A offices at 24 Chiswell Street in Central London. The whole ground floor was being lowered by 970mm to the street level outside the building. This would make the building accessible from the street however it would in turn create accessibility issues further into the building. The specific challenge of this project was that there was very little space to create an accessible route to these offices. There was no room for a conventional disabled platform lift let alone a ramp. The only space available for a lift would fit was the existing stairwell which leads to one of ground floor offices.

We installed a specialist platform lift that takes the appearance of a set of steps. As you can see in the below photos the whole stairwell descends flat with the lower floor level. The user then gets onto the lift and ascends to the upper level. The metal barrier then lowers into the system and the user can travel off of the lift. The specialist platform lift is equipped with key fob radio controls so that the lift can be operated by a member of staff at the front desk or the user themselves. When not in use the lift is a symmetrical copy of the stairwell opposite complete with the same tiles as the rest of the building’s entrance.

This specialist platform lift is a great alternative when space is at a premium and for existing stairwells where designers and contractors are finding it difficult to make space. The lift’s steps can be finished with existing materials such as the tiles used in this project. The lift at 24 Chiswell Street blends into its surroundings seamlessly and without previous knowledge it is difficult to realise the lift is there.

Venture House, Reading

GPAD, the London based architecture firm, approached Access Lifts because they wanted to install disabled access into the main entrance of a commercial office block they had recently designed in Reading. Venture House is a former print works building located in the heart of Reading opposite the train station. As with many former industrial buildings, Venture House was being renovated into office space. The end result would be 6 floors of Cat A offices with an industrial aesthetic throughout to compliment the building's history.

GPAD wanted a platform lift that would suit the modern interior of this iconic building. We designed and installed a platform lift with DDA compliant platform dimensions of 1100mm x 1400mm. This allows both a wheelchair user and a carer to use the lift together. The lift travels a distance of 1.2 metres between the floor levels and provides disabled access at the main entrance of the building. The lift was finished in black painted steel to match the surrounding balustrade with a mesh door and side panels designed for the lift car and a glass door chosen for the upper level.

The lift was installed within 3 days and a tray with depth of 22mm was left on the platform so that the building contractors could finish the tiles on the side. The tiles used on the lift matched the rest of the flooring so there was a seamless transition from landing to platform.

Outdoor Inclined Platform Lift in Dartford, Kent

We were approached by a private client in Dartford, Kent who was looking to modify the existing disabled access route into his office. He wanted to replace the existing old rickety ramp (see below) which was difficult to manoeuvre on and travel up due to its steep angle with an easier system. With this in mind, we discussed the different options available to the client and we decided the best option moving forward was to install an outdoor inclined platform lift. The lift would have to be able to take the load of his electric-powered wheelchair as well as any wheelchairs used by any visitors to the different offices and businesses in the building. In addition to the lift we would fit a new set of wooden steps so that able-bodied people would still be able to use this route as a point of access.

We designed and installed an outdoor inclined platform lift with a platform measuring 800mm x 1250mm and a load capacity of up to 300kg. The lift travels a total distance of 1500mm. The large platform space allows for both the client's electric-powered wheelchair as well as smaller manual wheelchairs of visitors and workers of the other businesses within the building. Our engineers also fitted a new set of wooden steps so that able-bodied members of staff would also be able to use this access route. The outdoor inclined platform lift was finished in stainless steel so that it's resistant to all weather conditions.

Platform Lift for Commercial Offices in Southwark

We were approached by Southwark Council because they needed to provide disabled access to their Lifeways office on Southwark Bridge Road, SE1. As the name suggests they are close to the river therefore right in the heart of London. Similar to many other commercial offices in the city, space is at a premium and it can be difficult to fit any type of disabled access in existing properties. After taking measurements of the area where a lift could be fitted, we came up with a drawing and submitted it to the council, who then ordered the lift.

Our engineers installed a lift with platform dimensions of 1519mm x 1184mm. The lift had to keep to these very specific measurements because the building has a steel shutter that has to completely shut to stop the public from entering the building outside of office opening hours. The platform lift has a total travel distance of 780mm to the ground floor level. The lift was finished in stainless steel so that it would be able to withstand the day-to-day footfall of a busy commercial office in London as well as dirt and rainwater coming form the street. The side panels as well as the car and landing doors were finished in glass.

Telefonica Digital, Piccadilly

We were approached by Overbury because they needed to install a wheelchair platform lift during the fit out of the new head office of Telefonica Digital in Piccadilly. Overbury were responsible for redesigning and redeveloping the office space totalling 50,000 sq ft offering new and improved workspaces as well as meeting rooms and an inverted cone "brand pod."

During the fit out, Overbury needed to fit a lift to allow access form 9th floor elevators to the staff meeting areas as well as the project workspace. The client wanted a lift that would match the office's new design and blend into the surrounding aesthetics with the fit out being very light with large open spaces. The designer decided to choose a white wheelchair platform lift with glass panels on the lift car itself so that the lift's style and finish matched that of the rest of the office. The platform of the lift measures 1400mm x 1100mm and has a total travel distance of 1370mm across 6 stairs. The wheelchair platform lift is capable of taking a load of up to 410kg, which means it can be used by both electric-powered buggy users and regular wheelchair users. The lift provides access from the elevators on 9th floor to the staff meeting areas as well as the project space and provides vital access for any disabled visitors.

Commercial Buildings

Hidden Platform Lift at 200 Gray’s Inn Road

For more information about lifts like the one above call us on 0800 65 252 65, email us or click here to be taken to our hidden lifts page

Outdoor Wheelchair Lift for Elm Yard, Elm Street

For more information about lifts like the one above call us on 0800 65 252 65 or email us

Platform Lifts at the National Army Museum

For more information about lifts like the ones above call us on 0800 65 252 65 or email us

Inclined Platform Lift in Grade II Listed Waterworks

For more information about lifts like the one above call us on 0800 65 252 65 or email us

Glass Lift for Offices at Meriden Hall

For more information about lifts like the one above call us on 0800 65 252 65 or email us

24 Chiswell Street

For more information about lifts like the one above call us on 0800 65 252 65, email us or click here to be taken to our hidden lifts page

Venture House, Reading

For more information about lifts like the one above call us on 0800 65 252 65 or email us

Outdoor Inclined Platform Lift in Dartford, Kent

For more information about lifts like the one above call us on 0800 65 252 65 or email us

Platform Lift for Commercial Offices in Southwark

For more information about lifts like the one above call us on 0800 65 252 65 or email us

Telefonica Digital, Piccadilly

For more information about lifts like the one above call us on 0800 65 252 65 or email us