Bolbec Hall lift replacement

We provided lift engineering consultancy duties for Bolbec Hall, a Grade II listed, seven-storey building on Westgate Road.

This historic building was originally designed in 1907 to serve as additional office space for the Literary and Philosophical Society, who occupy the adjacent Grade II* listed building. After a period of vacancy, Bolbec Hall was acquired by Maymask, who are upgrading the five upper floors for modern office use.

Challenge

This development is revitalising the unique features of the building, such as the intricate ceiling roses and cornices and the grand entrance, while also modernising the main stair and atrium area by replacing the original service lift with a new modern glass lift.

The removal of the existing goods lift provided a tight footprint, constrained further by the adjacent stairwell and walls. Whilst the central core above ground level is open plan, the existing shaft between the ground floor and basement limit the potential shaft dimension.

Maintaining the heritage features of the building presented an additional challenge for the team.

Solution

We provided a lift shaft design that enhanced the full-height stairwell atrium and maximised the space available to accommodate a new centre-piece scenic lift beneath the striking glass dome atrium.

The basement entrance is to be recessed into the landing, optimising the shaft depth to accommodate a conventional through-car passenger lift that opens on both the front and rear ends of the structure above the ground floor, which sits on the ground floor slab.