North West

Stannah: A moving service in Liverpool Cathedral

 Liverpool Anglican Cathedral- Stannah, bespoke glass

The installation of a Stannah, bespoke glass, through-car, MRL (machine room-less) passenger lift in Liverpool’s Anglican Cathedral is bringing access for all.

The new eight-person, two-stop, lift has been installed by the North West England & North Wales branch of Stannah Lift Services into the beautiful lower-level Lady Chapel at the Anglican Cathedral.

With the new bespoke passenger lift’s assistance, people of all mobility levels can access the tranquil haven of the Chapel to sit for a period of quietness, prayer or reflective contemplation. In addition, visitors can also view the reredos (altarpiece) and principal windows from a balcony directly opposite the altar, and the newly restored window – depicting the Presentation of Christ in the Temple.

Working in partnership with the Cathedral’s building company the bespoke passenger lift was supplied, installed, tested and commissioned by the Stannah Lift Services team to a specification by international consulting services company, Lerch Bates.

 Liverpool Anglican Cathedral- Stannah, bespoke glass

The specification of the lift demanded that the centre line of the top floor door was central to the point of the existing stone arch; the rear of the top serving entrance was cladded in plaster board; and the lower level was fully glazed – to include a glass landing door. This final specification ensured that the installation of the lift minimised impact on the surrounding architecture whilst at the same time maximised the sense of space.

The lift’s motor room-less feature economically houses the operational elements in the lift structure and, by positioning the lift counterweight to the rear of the shaft, persons on the lower level corridor can see through the glass lift shaft when the lift is on the upper landing. When not in use, the lift is programmed to relocate to the upper landing after a period of inactivity.

Stuart Haynes, Media Manager for Liverpool Cathedral, said:

“Before the arrival of our Stannah bespoke passenger lift, access to the Lady Chapel was by stairs only, so many of our visitors missed out on its valued presence in this magnificent Cathedral. Not only has the lift brought democratic access to the Chapel, it is sympathetic to the Gothic Revival architecture, complementing the ecclesiastical environment to become an integral part of the building.”

 Liverpool Anglican Cathedral- Stannah, bespoke glass

The Stannah bespoke passenger lift is serviced by the North West England & North Wales branch of Stannah Lift Services, part of a nationwide network providing 24 hour, 365 days a year support. This level of service covers repair, modernisation and refurbishment of all types of lifts, stairlifts, escalators and moving walkways – not only those from the Stannah product range, but also other lift manufacturers’ equipment.

Stannah also offers a bespoke lifts service, custom-building lifts to meet customers’ specific requirements.

Since 1867, Stannah has continued a family tradition; to keep people and goods moving. With more than 30,000 new installs per year and over 220,000 site visits too, the company gives its customers expert support right across its portfolio.

For more information on Stannah please visit: www.stannahlifts.co.uk; call 01264 364311; or email liftservices@stannah.co.uk.

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Roma Publications