Tower Lifts
Tower Lifts
Pitless Passenger Lift for Royal Academy of Arts
Why London’s Heritage Sites Trust Us for Complex Lift Installations
When your building is a historic London landmark, “standard” solutions are not enough. The Royal Academy of Arts at Burlington House knows this all too well. They needed to improve passenger access, but the building’s unique structure and heritage status ruled out a conventional lift installation.
This is a familiar challenge for Tower Lifts. The Academy team recognised our experience – spanning more than 10 years – in fitting bespoke passenger lifts across London. They trusted our ability to engineer a solution that would work perfectly within their operational needs, precisely managing the limited headroom and non-existent pit space.
Balancing 17th-Century Architecture with 21st-Century Access
The structural constraints of a 17th-century building like Burlington House are an absolute. You can’t just excavate a 1.5-metre pit or remove historic ceilings for headroom. This was the central problem the Royal Academy faced. They needed to improve access with a 27-person capacity lift, but the building’s historic status and non-standard spaces made it a complex engineering challenge.
Our team has plenty of experience with these kinds of constraints. The obvious solution was a machine-roomless (MRL) passenger lift with a low-pit and restricted-headroom design. This technology is the ideal fit for heritage environments.
It’s gearless and neatly installs in spaces other lifts won’t fit in. It allowed us to meet the client’s operational needs and all safety standards, all while preserving the building’s structure and historic character.
Low-Pit Lift Solutions – Practical FAQs for Building Managers
The Royal Academy case study shows what’s possible in a challenging space. If you’re managing a public or heritage building with similar structural constraints, here are the things you may find helpful to know about low-pit passenger lift technology.
It’s specifically engineered for existing buildings. A pitless lift uses MRL (Machine-Roomless) and gearless systems that don’t require the deep under-shaft space of traditional hydraulic or traction lifts. A pit as shallow as 50mm is often all that’s needed to house the components safely.
Yes. These are high-performance passenger lifts, with not a hint of ‘compromise’. They offer smooth, reliable, and efficient operation, with high capacity (like the 27-person lift at the Academy). They are ideal for busy public environments and fully meet all operational and safety requirements.
The top benefit is achieving modern accessibility while respecting conservation regulations. You avoid all major excavation, preserving the building’s foundation and structural integrity. In many projects, this technology is the only thing that makes a new lift installation feasible.
Extremely flexible. Because the MRL system is self-contained and they can be engineered for restricted headroom (a low top-of-shaft height), we can custom-fit them into spaces that simply cannot accommodate a standard lift’s larger footprint or overhead requirements.
The Right Partner for a Complex Installation
You need a lift partner who understands that installing a low pit lift in a public or heritage building is as much about conservation and compliance as it is about engineering.
For over a decade, Tower Lifts has been that partner for building managers across London. Our expertise with the technology means we can design a solution that fits your building, not the other way around.
Safety and compliance are at the core of our business. We guarantee a safe journey for your passengers and a process that meets all regulations. Beyond installation, we provide a full maintenance and servicing plan to make sure that your lift operates perfectly, day in and day out.
Our Quality and Safety Promise to You
These accreditations are our commitment to you, verifying our professional standards.
- ISO 9001:2015 – Demonstrates our proven quality management systems.
- ISO 45001 – Confirms our rigorous processes for managing health and safety risks in your building.
- UKAS – LiftCert – Verifies our compliance and technical expertise in line with best practices.
- LEIA – Shows our adherence to the highest trade body recommendations.
Every historic or public building has its own set of challenges. If you’re facing a complex access problem like the one at the Royal Academy, our specialist team is here to help.
Get in touch today for a friendly, no-obligation discussion about your specific needs – 01525 601099
In addition to a Pitless Passenger Lift, we can also install a variety of lifts in bespoke configurations, throughout the UK including:
Dometic Lifts • Food Lifts • Bespoke Platform Lifts • Service Lifts • Platform Lifts • Goods Lifts • Scenic Lifts • Heavy Duty / Car Lifts • Passenger Lifts • Dumbwaiter Lifts • MRL Lifts • Fire lifts • Residential Lifts