Brotherton Library External Lift – University of Leeds

University of Leeds

Leeds, West Yorkshire

Bowman Riley Building Consultancy was commissioned to provide architecture, project management and the role of principal designer on a new lift for the unique Brotherton Library on the main campus at the University of Leeds.The Brotherton Library is a 1936 Grade II listed Beaux-Arts brick building with art deco fittings. The original lift was designed to transport books between floors and cannot be modified to accommodate wheelchair users. The University needed a new lift to provide full wheelchair access to the library in line with the Equality Act Bowman Riley’s solution was to create a new external lift shaft and walkway. Centrally located, the lift provides access for all library users and improves the fire evacuation process for disabled users Initially the planners insisted on a traditional brick construction for the new lift, which is

The Brotherton Library is a 1936 Grade II listed Beaux-Arts brick building with art deco fittings. The original lift was designed to transport books between floors and cannot be modified to accommodate wheelchair users. The University needed a new lift to provide full wheelchair access to the library in line with the Equality Act.Bowman Riley’s solution was to create a new external lift shaft and walkway. Centrally located, the lift provides access for all library users and improves the fire evacuation process for disabled users Initially the planners insisted on a traditional brick construction for the new lift, which is

Bowman Riley’s solution was to create a new external lift shaft and walkway. Centrally located, the lift provides access for all library users and improves the fire evacuation process for disabled users.

Initially the planners insisted on a traditional brick construction for the new lift, which is labour intensive, costly and has increased health and safety risks. We actively engaged with the planners in the design process through early and continued consultation, which resulted in the agreement to install a steel frame lift shaft with a robust high performance cladding system. This reduced the construction programme on site, provided a financial cost saving and reduced disruption to the day to day activities of the highly utilised library facilities.

The design enables wheelchair users to obtain access to all floors of the Brotherton Library independently and with assistance if required.