Modernizing a medieval castle with a discreet lift

Historic buildings like churches, castles and museums need to be easy to access for everyone, but finding a sensitively designed solution to make these atmospheric monuments accessible can be challenging.

The medieval Burg zu Hagen Palace in Bremischen, Germany, was built over 1,000 years ago, so of course this ancient castle doesn’t meet today’s statutory accessibility requirements. As it’s a historic building that is bound by conservation laws, there are also strict regulations when it comes to renovations and extensions, so it wasn’t clear how it could ever become fully accessible. Then Aritco came up with a suitable solution – the Aritco PublicLift Access.

To understand how the Aritco PublicLift Access helped modernize the 1000-year-old castle whilst respecting its heritage, we chatted to Jörg Klaaßen from Weser-Ems Lift who installed the lift and Stephanie Allmer-Stoessel, Head of the Cultural History and Local History Association.

“We received a request from the castle in which they described their requirements for accessibility, and the need to respect the history of this culturally significant building,” explained Jörgen Klaaßen. “They needed a lift between floors that look discreet and have minimal impact on the building. Based on this brief, we considered the Aritco PublicLift Access to be the best solution,” he explained.

“Yes, we are very satisfied”, said Mrs Allmers-Stoessel. “Some of my colleagues were skeptical at first, but now they agree that it was the perfect solution,” she explained. “We particularly like the large glass doors and walls and the neutral color which allows the lift to blend in well with the historic surroundings. It’s reliable and quiet so it doesn’t disturb our visitors when they’re admiring the objects on display in the art gallery. It’s exceeded our expectations as the entire building can now be used for both exhibitions and events thanks to the lift.”

Do you have a building that needs a stylish modern lift that has the least possible impact on its environment? Contact your nearest Aritco reseller to hear more about the different models on offer.