16 St Martin’s Le Grand

16 St Martin’s Le Grand is a Grade II listed office building in the heart of the City of London, only a stone’s throw from St Paul’s Cathedral. The building offers 45,000 sq ft of office space across 8 floors.

Access Lifts worked with award winning London based architectural firm, Barr Gazetas, to specify a Hidden Platform Lift within the new main reception area on the ground floor back in 2022. The lift was to provide a step free access route to the ground floor level for non-ambulant visitors.

The project was awarded to London based main contractor, Structure Tone. Structure Tone then awarded the platform lift contract to Access Lifts in Q3 2023. The lift was then fitted on time near the end of the overall programme in May 2024 ready for practical completion of site by the start of June 2024.

The lift features its trims, on platform control post, upper landing gate and surface mounted wireless landing controls in RAL 9005 - Jet black in a matt finish. This colour and finish was used across all metalwork accents including railings, door frames, window frames and light fittings.

The upper landing gate was fabricated to match the railings both inside and outside the building with a bespoke pattern reminiscent of the Art Deco nature of the building. The gate features an electromechanical lock so that it can only be opened when the lift is at the upper floor level.

The lift’s floor is finished in white marble to match the rest of the flooring which strikes a beautiful contrast with the black detailing found across the lobby.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Seven Dials Warehouse

In conjunction with our previous project at Venture House in Reading, the architectural firm, GPAD asked us to design and install a similar lift during the refurbishment of Cat A offices at the Seven Dials Warehouse. Seven Dials is a commercial area a stone's throw away from the West End's Shaftesbury Avenue and the shopping district of Neal's Yard. It sits between Covent Garden and Soho and is named after the 7 roads that join together at its centre.

Having previously worked with GPAD on their Venture House project, we knew that they wanted a similar style and finish for this lift. Our engineers fitted the lift in the main entrance during GPAD's renovation of the building into commercial offices. The lift has platform dimensions of 900mm x 1400mm and travels a total distance of 1250mm. This specialist platform lift works using a scissor system therefore needs a pit below the floor level. In this particular project we had a pit of 250mm. We set the platform height at 15mm below the floor level so that the client could fit their tiles to the platform to match the lobby's existing stone flooring. Specially made Cadisch mesh panels were fitted to the sides and gates of the lift to match the building's style as well as the architect's vision. We finished the platform lift in jet black (RAL colour 9005) to give a modern but industrial look. Our engineers installed the lift within 4 days so it was ready for the building's official opening.

Small Passenger Lift in Townhouse in Mayfair

We were approached by Interiors with Art, a London based design and construction company as they were looking to incorporate a lift into one of their projects in Mayfair. We attended site to measure and provide a quotation for a small passenger lift that could service all 4 floors of the house. As with many of the Victorian townhouses found in the Mayfair area this building had been split into flats. Mayfair is an affluent area of West London and is situated just to the East of Hyde Park and West of the City of London. Lifts in townhouses in the Mayfair and Park Lane area are becoming more and more common as building and flat owners are looking to future proof their properties and our client was no different. In the current market, a building without a lift can be the reason a flat doesn't sell at the asking price or even sell at all.

The architect wanted the small passenger lift to fit into the space that had been left behind after the dumbwaiter was removed. The lift would also have to have adjacent entries therefore would limit the interior cabin dimensions even more. The lift's interior measures 630 mm x 725 mm with photocells placed on the two sides of entry - this was to maximise the space inside the lift for the client. The total travel of the lift is over 10 metres across 4 floors and the maximum load of the lift is 300kg. The lift has 600mm wide swing landing doors with opaque glass windows and finished in the client's chosen RAL colour. The lift's interior was finished in polished stainless steel giving the feel that the lift was much larger than it actually was. The floor of the lift was fitted with the same marble tiling as the ground floor so there was a seamless transition from hallway to lift.

Glass Home Lift in St John’s Wood, London

We were approached by a private client in St John's Wood, Central London, who wanted a glass home lift running across 5 floors of his house. St John's Wood is a largely residential area of London, adjacent to Regent's Park and home of Lord's cricket ground. It is an extremely affluent district of London with large detached properties contrary to London's usual townhouse homes. With this in mind the client wanted a lift that would live up to his expectations and seamlessly blend into the aesthetics of his home.

After attending the site to measure the lift shaft we submitted the drawings and discussed with the client his vision and exactly what he wanted in regards to style and finishes. He made it clear that he wanted the lift to look very modern and be completed in a full glass structure with glass doors. We fitted an EP Elfo with cabin dimensions of 950mm x 1000mm which travelled a total distance of 10.5 metres across 5 floors. The lift was finished with panoramic glass doors that were 800mm wide creating a spacious cabin interior. The glass finish for both the structure and doors meant that the lift matched the client's modern and luxurious specifications.

Goods Lift at Commercial Office in the City of London

Access Lifts was approached by ISG because they needed a lift installed during their refit of Dixon House, a large commercial office building on Fenchurch Street in the City of London. ISG needed a lift that could be used as an alternative disabled access lift but would predominantly be used for moving heavy goods such as large refuse bins. They needed a lift that could carry over 2000kg of goods across the 2 floor levels. As with many buildings in the City, space at Dixon House is at a premium and so the goods lift had to be made with a specially designed platform to fit the abnormal space. The goods lift had to be be made into a right angled trapezium shape to fit the space of the service entrance of the building.

The goods lift has platform dimensions of 4050mm x 1500mm and travels a total distance of 1750mm. The lift had to have a 550mm pit below the finished floor level so that the lift's scissor mechanism would fit and the platform would be at the same height as the finished floor level. The lift has handrails on one side with a stainless steel sliding gate so that access is provided even when the lift isn't in use. The goods lift's was finished with a 50mm x 6mm galvanised steel edge so that the client's concrete flooring could be laid onto the platform to match the surrounding floor.

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.

lifts in london

16 St Martin’s Le Grand

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

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

British Library

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

Seven Dials Warehouse

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

Small Passenger Lift in Townhouse in Mayfair

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

Glass Home Lift in St John’s Wood, London

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

Goods Lift at Commercial Office in the City of London

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