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Enhancing accessibility at Skinners’ Hall in London

Skinners’ Hall, located on Dowgate Hill in the heart of the City of London, is one of the capital’s most historic livery halls. Home to The Worshipful Company of Skinners for over 700 years, the Grade I listed building combines centuries of heritage with modern event facilities, hosting a wide range of corporate functions, private dining events, weddings, receptions, conferences and charitable gatherings throughout the year.

As part of a wider programme of improvements aimed at safeguarding the future of the venue and enhancing inclusivity, Skinners’ Hall required an accessible solution that would allow all visitors to access the building more easily. The challenge was to provide step-free access for people with limited mobility while also improving access for deliveries, catering supplies and event equipment within a unique historic environment.

Given the building’s listed status, any alterations needed to respect and preserve the architectural character of the Hall. Traditional lift installations can often require significant structural changes, making them unsuitable for heritage properties. The project team therefore selected a Stepless Model A platform lift.

The Model A platform lift was installed by Platform Lift Company, with initial discussions regarding the proposed accessibility solution with Stepless by Guldmann in early December 2022. Careful planning and coordination throughout the project ensured that the installation was carried out with the historic surroundings in mind.

Every aspect of the design was considered to ensure that the lift complemented the existing architecture while meeting contemporary accessibility standards. The compact design of the Model A platform lift made it particularly well suited to the constraints of the building, where preserving original features and minimising intervention were of paramount importance. As designs developed and the wider refurbishment works progressed, the lift became a key component of the Hall’s strategy to improve accessibility and operational efficiency.

  • The lift creates a safe and reliable route between differing levels outside of the venue, enabling wheelchair users and visitors with reduced mobility to access independently. At the same time, it provides a practical means of transporting deliveries, furniture, catering equipment and event materials, helping venue staff operate more efficiently during event set-up and operations.

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