Futureproofing an industrial live-work space in London
Aritco’s HomeLift links the four floors of the home and workshop of one of the world’s most renowned printmakers.
Specifications
- Model: Aritco HomeLift S5
- Size: 966 x 880 mm
- Floors: 4
- Lift color: White
The opportunity
Internationally acclaimed artist Norman Ackroyd has lived and worked from a magnificent, converted Victorian industrial building in Bermondsey near London Bridge for forty years. The former warehouse spans four floors linked by a staircase with fifty steps. At the age of 85, Ackroyd was keen to future-proof his home and workplace for the years to come. “There’s no way I want to leave this place,” he explained. “Everything that keeps me sane is here and I could never move.”
The lift
In 2021, one of his friends in London, a prominent architect, installed an Aritco HomeLift. Ackroyd was impressed by its design, efficiency and the ease of installation. When he ordered a brochure, the measurements showed that it would fit perfectly next to the staircase that links the four floors of his spectacular live-work space, so he decided to go ahead. Once the lift was installed, it proved transformational.
The result
“It works as a wonderful freight lift as well as a human lift,” enthused Ackroyd. “You can actually get twenty to thirty pictures in it. Heavy shopping can be brought up and I can bring rubbish down to the front door. As the side of the lift is metal, I can even use it as a pin board using magnets. I can pin up what I’m working on and look at it while I’m playing the piano.” “It’s fantastic. It’s one of the best things I’ve acquired,” he added.
