Access Lifts

An entire staircase can disappear into the wall to reveal the rising platform. To view more of our projects, please click here

Access will always be somewhat of a necessity throughout the modern world, especially in this country with the need and desire to preserve national history coupled with the challenge for wheelchair users to tackle the architectural challenges that weren’t addressed by William I whilst building the Tower of London, or during the many constructions and re-constructions of the Palace of Westminster, or better known as the Houses of Parliament.

Believe it or not, the first record of any type of access lift was well before the final construction phase of the Houses of Parliament began around 1945, with King Henry VIII of England commissioning one of what may have been a series of access lifts in the mid-1500’s! The only remaining record of any access lifts during that era is a man-powered, block and tackle style system used to ascend and descend a 20-stair staircase in Whitehall Castle, most probably used by Henry VIII himself.

Nowadays access lifts for the most part are commonplace and painfully recognisable, although undoubtedly incredibly useful. The designs for access lifts are almost boundless, with lifts going along stairs, behind stairs, completely separate from stairs, even completely hidden within walls, in the example of what is commonly referred to as a dumb waiter, although not commonly used for human access as such. However, there is one problem that remains widely present, with few knowing a plausible or reliable solution.

The ability or possibility of a dual staircase/lift combination, that is a lift that can also be used as stairs, allowing access to both those who can walk and those who can’t, is a widely unknown concept in this day and age. Additionally, aesthetically pleasing or reliable and easy access to listed buildings throughout the UK to many would appear an impossibility, due to the heavy restrictions on the altering of any architectural aesthetics within historically or traditionally important structures. Needless to say, simple, easy to operate, aesthetically pleasing dual purpose access lifts seem to be more of a dream rather than a reality. That is until now.

Sesame Access are and remain the only company in the UK that can provide sleek, smooth, aesthetically pleasing dual purpose stair access lifts in an area as small as 900 x 1400mm, in a style that fits perfectly and unrestrictedly into the surrounding environment, to the extent that the staircase will look exactly the same as it did before the lift went in. Whenever there isn’t a wheelchair user or handicapped person present who would need to use the lift, the stairs would remain out and available for general pedestrian use. However, as soon as someone comes who requires the lift to be able to gain access, the stairs can retract as the push (and hold) of a button, allowing the user to access the lift platform and be transported to the above or below floor in a smooth, sleek and comfortable manner.

We like to make sure each of our lifts fits in perfectly with each location. For more information, please visit our custom lift page and read about the service we can provide for you.