York Theatre Royal

We were approached by the architect, De Matos Ryan, who were designing the refurbishment of the Grade II listed York Theatre Royal. A grand building that is the centre of York's arts scene. The theatre is located in the centre of York in the shadow of the minster. The £6 million refurbishment included completely redesigning the social spaces outside of the main theatre buildings. Within these works, the client needed two lifts, a main lift to access the four floors of the building as well as a platform lift to link the main lobby area with the café. We worked with the principal contractor, William Birch & Sons, to deliver this project. We are currently working with William Birch & Sons to deliver 4 different lifts at Lincoln Cathedral whilst we have worked with De Matos Ryan at the British Library and in the refurbishment of private homes in some of London and the South East's premium locations. 

Due to the nature of the building there were certain limitations with regards to the design of the lift. There were a number of stone features that could not be touched or changed.  The redesign of the theatre meant that there were a number of balconies and mezzanine floors with 4 different floor levels across around 5 metres of travel. The lift itself has 3 different access points so that all of these mezzanine levels could be accessed. The lift was finished in glass and brushed stainless steel to add a modern contrast to the more traditional limestone features surrounding it. The prominence of glass on the lift allows light to flood down the shaft into what is a fairly dark area which has little natural light sources. All the doors of the lift were automatic two-panel glass doors with brushed stainless steel frames. This compliments the modern aesthetic of the lift and allows the easiest and quickest access for all users. The lift is compliant with Part M with a 1100mm wide x 1400mm deep cabin and a horizontal control panel making it easier to use for wheelchair users. 

The second lift is an open platform lift which links the main lobby area to the newly refurbished café adjacent to the main spiral staircase. The lift is finished with glass panels within a black steel frame, this gives a modern sleek appearance with simple constant pressure controls. 

Location: Yorkshire

Status: Complete

Year Completed: 2016

To see projects similar to the lifts at the York Theatre Royal clicking on the following links:

British Library | Meriden HallNational Army Museum | Venture House | Baltic Mill | The Swan at Streatley | Wagamama Wigmore Street

The entrance at York Theatre Royal
The main lift at York Theatre Royal
Outside façade of the York Theatre Royal
Main lift in the lobby at York Theatre Royal
Inner lobby area of the York Theatre Royal
Third floor of the main lift at York Theatre Royal
Internal cabin of the glass lift at York Theatre Royal
Glass and stainless steel lift in the York Theatre Royal
Upper landing of the platform lift at York Theatre Royal
Platform lift linking the lobby with the main cafe
Open platform lift providing access to the main cafe at York Theatre Royal

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

Wheelchair Lift at The Point, Eastleigh

We were approached by representatives of The Point, Eastleigh as they were looking to install a new wheelchair lift. The Point, Eastleigh is a local theatre that plays host to a large variety of performances and is run by Eastleigh Borough Council. The Point is situated adjacent to Eastleigh Borough Council offices in the town centre and is a hub for local residents. The theatre accommodates a wide range of events spanning from contemporary theatrical productions to dances classes for all ages to community shows. As a vital hub for the local community the client needed to replace their current wheelchair lift quickly. The Point's current wheelchair lift was over 15 years old and wasn't fit for purpose. However the old lift provided a vital disabled access route for both staff and visitors alike and so we surveyed the site and submitted drawings for a new lift to the client.

We designed and fitted a brand new wheelchair lift to travel up the 3.5 metres difference between ground floor to first floor. The total travel of the lift is over 7 metres which included two 90º corners and one 180º corner from the ground floor. The width of the staircase varied therefore a smaller platform measuring 750mm x 900mm was fitted. The wheelchair lift has a rated load of 225kg therefore can easily move even the heaviest of mobility scooters. The lift was installed within 2 days.

To see more examples of our work in theatres click on the following links: Step Lift and Passenger Lift in York Theatre Royal and Passenger Lift in the National Theatre.

To see more examples of our inclined wheelchair lifts click on the following links: Inclined Platform Lift in Grade II Listed Waterworks, Outdoor Inclined Platform Lift in Dartford, Inclined Wheelchair Platform Lift in Poole, Outdoor Garden Lift in Parkstone and Inclined Platform Lift in Dartmouth

Location: Hampshire

Status: Complete

Year Completed: 2018

The Point, Eastleigh
Wheelchair Lift at The Point, Eastleigh
Wheelchair Platform Lift at The Point
Disabled Access at The Point, Eastleigh
Inclined Wheelchair Platform Lift at The Point, Eastleigh

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

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.

Location: Central London

Status: Complete

Year Completed: 2013

To see projects similar to National Theatre click on the following links:

The British Library | The Wool House | York Theatre Royal | The Base at Greenham | Meriden Hall |  Branksome Park | Powys | Whitecliff | Bosham

Disabled access lift at the National Theatre
Passenger Lift Interior at the National Theatre
Lift at the National Theatre

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