In conjunction, with a major refurbishment project to the South Building, Sykes secured a contract to install a new sesame lift to the eastern independent access stair at the entrance to the Royal College of Music on Prince Consort Road.

The project primarily comprised the re-construction of the existing external stair to accommodate a wheelchair lift, together with all new services, new intercom, access controls and interface with the fire alarm system.

The Sesame Lift directly faces the Royal Albert Hall and is formed of an 11-step Westminster lift with a rise of just under 2000mm. It is one of the larger, horizontally retracting stairlifts that our specialist lift contractor had installed and came with a number of challenges.

The works areas included a section of the entrance lobby at ground floor level of the College, the stair flight linking pavement level with the building entrance level, the Instrument repair workshop at lower ground level below the building entrance lobby and the external light well at basement level below the external stair and the adjacent light well spaces.