One City, Three Spaces, One Lift

London is a city known for its rich diversity, not just in cultures but in architectural identity. Glass-and-steel towers, Victorian brickwork, and repurposed industrial spaces exist side by side. What they share is the need for accessibility that works within the constraints of modern design briefs and historic structures alike.

Three recent installations of the Aritco PublicLift Access show how a single lift model can serve very different spaces, each time respecting and contributing to the design aesthetic already in place.

CÉ LA VI London occupies the 17th and 18th floors of Paddington Square, a building designed by Renzo Piano. At that height, with that address, the design standards are uncompromising. The lift needed to connect the restaurant’s two floors for all guests, meet accessibility requirements, and sit naturally within an atmosphere the venue had been carefully built around.

The Aritco PublicLift Access was finished in a warm brown tone to complement the wooden frame surrounding it. Two open glass sides allow views across the London skyline as guests travel between floors, and a skyline DesignWall extends that panorama into the cab itself. The lift becomes part of the experience rather than interrupting it.

On Newcomen Street in Southwark, a former hop warehouse has been converted into a coworking space. The building’s brick exterior was retained, and the interior was designed with a modern industrial style. Members, guests, and deliveries move constantly across three floors, making access both a legal requirement and a practical daily need.

The pit-free design of the Aritco PublicLift Access allowed installation with minimal disruption to the historic structure. A black finish was chosen to complement the industrial interior, and yellow floor lighting inside echoes the yellow lighting on the stairwell, connecting the lift seamlessly with the rest of the space.

Annely Juda Fine Art on Hanover Square has represented contemporary artists from around the world and masters of the 20th-century avant-garde for decades. The gallery occupies a multistorey space in an older building. White walls, minimal fittings, nothing to compete with the work on exhibit.

A lift was needed to transport visitors between floors, meet compliance requirements, and move large, fragile, and often heavy pieces of art safely between levels. It also needed to sit within the building’s white interior without disrupting it.

The Aritco PublicLift Access was customised in a white finish, allowing it to recede into the interior. Its screw and nut system runs quietly, ensuring the lift is as unobtrusive in operation as it is in appearance.

The Aritco PublicLift Access combines robust engineering with a level of customisation rarely found in commercial lifts. Finish, colour, door configurations, and internal details can all be configured to suit the space. A compact footprint and pit-free installation mean it works equally well in new buildings and historic structures, with minimal disruption and a quick turnaround on site.