Case Study: “Oyez! Stannah brings modern access to historic town hall!”
Once again, Stannah has plenty to shout about when it comes to updating access in heritage buildings – with the installation of a Maxilift 2.0 MRL (motor room-less) passenger lift in the historic town hall in King’s Lynn, Norfolk.
By bringing access for people of all mobilities to facilities ranged over two floors, this hydraulic, 8-person lift helps the town hall maintain its 800-year history at the heart of civic life.
Today, this distinctive building hosts a wealth of facilities, from hireable function spaces such as the Grade I Listed medieval Stone Hall and the Georgian Assembly Room, to the newly opened Stories of Lynn exhibition which is set within the vaulted undercroft of the 15th century Trinity Guildhall, the original part of the town hall complex.
The Maxilift was specified by Ian Trundley, MD of architectural design company, Trundley Design:
“It was second nature to turn to Stannah for a passenger lift in King’s Lynn town hall as we frequently specify Stannah lift products for our projects. They are nationally recognised suppliers of first class lift products, backed by a reassuring after-sales support service delivered by a local branch of their Lift Services division. This Maxilift was on spec and competed favourably on cost.”
The wall-mounted Maxilift is motor room-less, a space-saving feature that houses the controls in a cabinet next to the lift doors. It also brims with features that blend the best of style and function, from the on-trend, satin stainless steel finish to the silver half-height rear mirror and bubble ceiling.
In order to meet with specific site requirements, this passenger lift specification included bump rails, additional handrails and chequer-patterned aluminium flooring to better protect the lift car, and the extra-wide 900mm doors enabled maximum ease of access.
The lift is BS EN 81-73:2016 compliant, meeting all the safety rules for the construction and installation of lifts. In particular, it features a voice evacuation intercom control, developed in accordance with BS5588 Part 8, for the evacuation of people in the event of a fire or emergency.
Cllr Elizabeth Nockolds, cabinet member for Culture, Heritage & Health at the Borough Council of King’s Lynn & West Norfolk, which is responsible for the town hall complex, said:
“We want to make sure that all our buildings are accessible to everyone who wants or needs to visit them, and the town hall complex is no exception. Just as our Stories of Lynn exhibition uses the best of modern technology to explore King’s Lynn’s past, our new passenger lift helps visitors see all that’s on offer in these beautiful and historic buildings”.
As with all Stannah lift products, the Maxilift 2.0 MRL passenger lift is covered by Stannah’s comprehensive lift service plan, which includes six service visits, with continued lift maintenance by the East Anglia branch of Stannah Lift Services, part of a nationwide network providing comprehensive lift servicing and support.