Passenger
lift services goods lift
LA Husbands Ltd - Husbands is Part of National Archives of Scotland Refurb
A Birmingham lift company has won the
contract to supply a specially designed lift to fit into the
historical Matheson Dome at the National Archives of Scotland in
Edinburgh. This is part of a multi-million pound refurbishment
of the National Archives to create the Scottish Family History
Centre which will be a major centre for genealogy research and
will open later this year.
Husbands – one of the UK’s leading manufacturers and suppliers
of service lifts – will provide a 100kg lift which has been
designed to transport thousands of large registers across five
floors within the curvature of the dome.
The lift is clad with 30 individually made curved panels
designed to fit the contours of the dome and finished in a
special pearlescent powder-coated paint. Mesh guarding and
wrought ironwork is a feature of the historic building and the
lift has been fitted with special brackets to interface with
these features. The specification also called for an extra tall
car, which stops twice on each floor to enable staff to unload
the heavy registers safely and efficiently.
According to Husband’s managing director, Keith Holmes, the
aesthetic look of the lift was as important as its efficient
operation. He comments:
“The National Archives of Scotland were keen that the new lift
in the historical Matheson Dome should be of a shape and
appearance to enhance the refurbished building. We believe the
impact of the smooth stainless steel tower with its clean lines
and no visible fixings set within the magnificent dome structure
is visually very strong and appealing. We were able to meet the
exact requirements for technical and aesthetic details and so
won this contract against stiff opposition”.
Husbands has won a similar contract for a book-hoist lift from
Birmingham Central Library. The company has recently fitted a
lift, which will also carry a number of registers across two
floors in the historical section of the library.
The lift had to be located on a specially reinforced steel
frame, manufactured by Husbands, which enabled the car to spread
its load across concrete beams, which are an integral part of
this 1960’s concrete structure. The manufacture of the lift and
all fabrication was carried out at the company’s Halesowen
manufacturing plant in Shelah Rd. The lift was clad in a blue
laminate to the requirements of the library’s procurement team.
The two contracts are worth around £40,000 to the company.
Email:
keithholmes@husbands.co.uk