A Bespoke Scenic Lift in London
Transparent Aesthetics
Looks are paramount and most bespoke scenic lifts tend towards as much glass as possible, but the lift needs equipment to make it run safely. How can this be achieved and at what cost?
One of the best examples our lift consultants are aware of is the Scenic Glass Lift in the Apple Store on Regent Street in London. This lift serves as a good example of what can be achieved.
Glass Lift car
Excluding the floor and a small profile around the top of the car the lift car is completely glass. You probably know that glass manufacture can be very sophisticated and it’s probably not a surprise that structural glass is available.
A good example of a Bespoke Scenic Lift.
In the photo and video above there appears to be no means of operating the lift or lift doors, and no means to guide the lift via conventional guide rails. How is this achieved in this case?
Guide Rails
Well this lift does have guide rails but they don’t extend above the first floor (the lift serves the ground and first only). These guide rails guide the base of the lift car body and the glass lift car sits on that base and appears to rise out of the ground as it comes up to the first floor.
Drive
This lift has a hydraulic drive with a hydraulic piston acting directly below the centre of the lift car. Although, this type of drive is rarely used on normal lifts it is often used on scenic lifts because of the clean aesthetic qualities possible.
No Safety Gear
Actually, there is plenty of safety equipment on this lift, you just can’t see it. The main safety feature of lifts is a system of wedges that grab the guide the guide rails if the lift were to over-speed. However, this is not required on direct acting hydraulic lifts which, have a safety valve on the hydraulics that locks the flow of oil (keeping the car stationary) if there is a major leak.
How are the doors operated?
Conventionally the car lift door operator sits above the car doors on the car top. In this case this has been inverted and an ultra-compact lift door operator sits beneath the car
And what does it all cost?
We don’t know how much this lift cost although rumour has it at around £250,000.00. However, we can say where the high cost derives from
The direct acting hydraulic ram requires a hole to be bored and excavation done and with tube lines in the vicinity one needs to be very careful with no doubt, specialist surveys done. If looks were of no consequence this lift would have side acting rams with no excavation (other than the lift pit) or bore-hole needed.
The glass lift car and custom designed posts for the operation buttons. All very, very bespoke and very expensive. Most of the components on this lift are uniquely manufactured.
The doors with slim-line, below acting door operator for the car doors and very reduced profile running equipment on the landing doors as well as totally frame-less glass doors. This equipment would cost four of five times the cost of conventional door equipment.
This bespoke scenic lift in the heart of London is an impressive design and a good example of what can be achieved.
Two related Topics are
Scenic Lift, Panoramic Lift, Glass Lift – Standard to Bespoke
Glass Lift Doors
020 7118 8401 – enquiries@theliftconsultancy.co.uk – 145/7 St John Street, London, EC1V 4PY, UK