Futureproofing an industrial live-work space in London
Aritco’s HomeLift links the four floors of the home and workshop of one of the world’s most renowned printmakers.
Specifications
- Model: Aritco HomeLift S5
- Size: 966 x 880 mm
- Floors: 4
- Lift color: White
The opportunity
Internationally acclaimed artist Norman Ackroyd has lived and worked from a magnificent, converted Victorian industrial building in Bermondsey near London Bridge for forty years. The former warehouse spans four floors linked by a staircase with fifty steps. At the age of 85, Ackroyd was keen to future-proof his home and workplace for the years to come. “There’s no way I want to leave this place,” he explained. “Everything that keeps me sane is here and I could never move.”
The lift
In 2021, one of his friends in London, a prominent architect, installed an Aritco HomeLift. Ackroyd was impressed by its design, efficiency and the ease of installation. When he ordered a brochure, the measurements showed that it would fit perfectly next to the staircase that links the four floors of his spectacular live-work space, so he decided to go ahead. Once the lift was installed, it proved transformational.
The result
“It works as a wonderful freight lift as well as a human lift,” enthused Ackroyd. “You can actually get twenty to thirty pictures in it. Heavy shopping can be brought up and I can bring rubbish down to the front door. As the side of the lift is metal, I can even use it as a pin board using magnets. I can pin up what I’m working on and look at it while I’m playing the piano.” “It’s fantastic. It’s one of the best things I’ve acquired,” he added.
Editor’s Note (Updated September 2024):
Since the original publication of this article in June 2023, Norman Ackroyd, the celebrated British printmaker and artist, passed away on September 16th, 2024, at the age of 83.
