Modern storage in a historic lightwell
A converted central London Grade II listed townhouse needed to store ten large bins and twenty bicycles, all out of sight, but lacked rear access or suitable ground-level space.
Engineers designed a bespoke scissor lift platform lowered into the basement via crane. The lift platform featured barriers that perfectly matched the existing street-level balustrades.
The solution is virtually invisible to pedestrians, satisfies the strict requirements of local planners and historians, and provides a safe, quiet, and practical storage area for all residents’ needs.
The conversion of a large, central London Grade II listed townhouse into ten premium apartments presented a significant logistical and planning challenge. While the luxury residences were complete, local planners had specified a mandatory requirement for the provision of five waste and five recycling large 1,100 litre Euro-bins, in addition to twenty secure bike storage spaces, all of which had to be stored completely out of sight.
The building’s historical status and central urban location meant there was no street access to the rear of the building, and utilising the limited ground-level space for large bins and bicycles was unacceptable to planning authorities and historians. The only potential area for storage was the building’s basement lightwell, which required a system that could safely and discreetly move the bins and bikes between the basement and street level.
Lyfthaus engineers designed a highly discreet, custom scissor lift platform specifically for the tight, narrow basement lightwell. The entire lift assembly was lowered into the basement using a crane-equipped lorry via the street access point. To maintain the historical aesthetic, the platform was installed with barriers that were meticulously designed to match the existing street-level balustrades.
Furthermore, the top of the lift platform was set with stone to complement the basement floor, making the lift virtually invisible to passing pedestrians when in its lowered position.
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This super discreet lightwell lift solution successfully satisfied the demanding requirements of both local planners and historical conservationists. It provides a practical, easy-to-use, safe, and quiet system for managing the residents’ bike and bin storage needs. The previously underutilised, large covered basement space is now efficiently utilised as a secure, out-of-sight storage area, blending modern necessity seamlessly with 18th-century architecture.
Lift Solutions Used
Platform Lift
Lightwell Lift
Product Highlight
We always strive to make our bespoke lightwell lifts blend into the architectural landscape, making them virtually invisible to passers by.
