British Library

We were approached by the architect, De Matos Ryan, to measure for a disabled access lift in the British Library in Central London. The British Library is located next to St Pancras Station on Euston Road and contains copies of every book published in the UK as well as being the largest library in the world. The building it is situated in is less than 50 years old however it is a Grade I listed building which can make the construction of a lift very difficult. The client needed disabled access across 3 floors for library visitors as well as private functions that take place on the 2nd floor. The lift’s overall travel would be 5.8m.

The disabled access lift needed to cover 3 floors and have adjacent doors on both 1st and 2nd floors as well as being perfectly aligned between the 2 steel beams supporting the roof. One of the initial challenges we faced was that for a lift of this size, a conventional lift would require a 1500mm pit below the lower floor level, however due to the small distance between the floor level and the ceiling of the floor below the maximum pit we were able to have was 130mm. In addition, a conventional lift would need 3500mm metres above the upper floor level however we had a maximum height of 2350mm as the ceiling could not be taking off or adjusted for the lift.

The lift structure also needed to be able to support two landing balconies weighing 500kg each. We had 2 sets of automatic power car doors adjacent to ground floor entry onto the balconies of 1st and 2nd floors. The architect wanted the to maximise the light that enters the space so chose a white structure with pinned glass on the outside of the structure. The finish makes the most of the light pouring into the building and makes the whole experience of using the lift feel less claustrophobic. The placement and attachment of the glass proved challenging because there were no points that a hoist could fix to therefore the glass was moved and positioned by hand. Even though this took longer than expected the finish of the lift looks great.

The lift now supplies disabled access for library users and is an aesthetically pleasing addition to the Grade I listed building.

National Theatre

We were approached by the National Theatre as they were undergoing a refurbishment to a large part of the theatre. They needed to provide disabled access throughout the building, unfortunately they couldn't make space for a conventional passenger lift due to the building's Grade II listing. The National Theatre is situated on the Southbank of the Thames and holds a host of productions from Shakespeare to more contemporary plays.

Working with Lendlease, the construction management business, we designed and fitted a lift with automatic doors on adjacent sides. The lift travelled a distance of 12 metres across four floors, with entry points on two of the four sides of the lift shaft. The client had strict criteria that the lift had to meet due to the building's Grade II listing. The ceiling of lift had to be anodised bronze to match the theatre's ceiling that had originally been installed in 1976. In order to match this requirement we used the same anodising company that had originally constructed the theatre's ceiling. We also replicated the handrail from the landings inside the lift car and used the same materials to create a handrail that is identical to those in the theatre. We completed the lift with the same flooring as the rest of the theatre, with the original carpet from 1971 being used in the lift car. The rest of the lift was finished in stainless steel to contrast the wooden panelling and one of the interior sides was fitted with a complete floor to ceiling mirror. Even with the high specification of the lift, it was fitted within 4 weeks.

The Dancing Man Brewery at the Wool House

The owner of the Grade I listed Dancing Man Brewery & Pub came to us needing a pub lift that fitted the industrial aesthetics of the building and did not compromise the Grade I listing.

The Dancing Man Brewery & Pub is situated in the Wool House, Southampton. The Wool House is a 14th Century, Grade I listed building that has recently been converted into a microbrewery and pub. The owners wanted to make the 1st floor accessible to disabled customers so that they could experience the whole brewery. The main challenge that needed to be overcome was how to design a lift to fit into a 1450mm x 1450mm space that did not compromise the property's Grade I listing.

We came up with a small platform lift within its own lift shaft. In order to meet the client's expectations of an industrial looking pub lift to reflect the building's historic past, we opted for a glass lift shaft with a black structure. This was so that the inner workings of the lift could be seen by the customers to give it a warehouse/industrial charm. The work was completed within 10 days and the lift was ready for the grand opening of the Dancing Man. Our engineers even fitted the client's existing handrails to the lift structure as to maximise the space on the stairway leading to the 1st floor. The client was really impressed with the finished article and said, "we were very pleased with how Access Lifts worked, the guys left the site neat and tidy ready for the grand opening."

To see more of our projects in listed buildings click on the following links: York Theatre Royal, British Library, National Theatre and Inclined Platform Lift in Grade II Listed Waterworks.

Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art

We were approached by the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art in Gateshead who were looking to supply wheelchair access to part of their art gallery. The Baltic Centre is a converted flour mill located on the soutbaek of the River Tyne in Gateshead. The local landmark plays host to hundreds of thousands of visitors each year and holds several world renowned exhibitions. In fact the mill was the first venue outside of London and Liverpool to host the Turner Prize in its 25 year history. The client wanted an access solution that would provide both the necessary access for all visitors but also be in keeping with the BALTIC's contemporary design. A compliant ramp would require at least 6 metres of slope to get over the 500mm rise across the split floor levels.

In order to create a simple solution that wouldn't disrupt the interior of the building with a more traditional platform lift we designed a small hidden scissor step lift. The step lift would firstly rise above the height of the 3 steps between the galleries then travel across to the upper floor level and then lower slightly to meet the floor level. The total travel for the lift was 5o0mm vertically followed by 700mm horizontally, the lift has a maximum load of 450kg so can easily take a wheelchair and even the heaviest of electric mobility scooters. The lift was finished with the same hardwood flooring as the gallery and so disappears into the floor when not in use. The lift was installed in a day and was ready to use by mid afternoon the same day.

To see more of our hidden platform lifts click on the following links:

200 Grays Inn Road | Sissinghurst Castle Garden | 24 Chiswell Street | Devonshire Club | Platform Lift for Ribs

Historic & Listed Buildings

British Library

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

National Theatre

For more information about lifts for theatre and stage call us on 0800 65 252 65 or email us

The Dancing Man Brewery at the Wool House

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

Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art

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