Building record 1160/433/1 - Lift Tower, Express Lift Company Ltd.

Express Lifts testing tower. Built 1980-2, the only lift testing tower in Britain and one of only two in Europe. Constructed of reinforced concrete.

{1} Express Lifts testing tower. Built 1980-2, the only lift testing tower in Britain and one of only two in Europe. Constructed of reinforced concrete.

{3} Lift testing tower. Commissioned 1978, built 1980-2 by Stimpson and Walton for the Express Lift Company Limited: Michael Barclay Partnership engineers. Reinforced concrete, the lower 90m constructed with a separate outer skin formed by continuous slip pour (in 3 weeks). Internal shaft walls and upper parts jump formed concrete. Concrete raft foundations. 127m in height, tapering from 14.6m at the bottom to 8.4m at the top, circular to reduced wind resistance with piercing at the top to further lower this. Inside are 3 rectilinear shafts arranged on three sides of a square. The high speed lift shaft runs the full height of the tower and determined its height, and is for testing lifts at speeds of up to 7 metres per second and is the shaft where faults are most regularly simulated. The tallest shaft contains a permanent service lift and gives access to a laboratory above the fast lift. The third and lowest shaft contains shafts (one above the other) for testing hydraulic lifts, medium speed lifts, and has 2 training shafts. There are further engineers rooms at the base of the tower, one used as an exhibition room, and a rooftop observation room. There are two staircases, one the full height of the building. A smaller space at the base of the tower is used by the British Standards Agency for its own independant testing, its presence is the result of partial government funding for the tower. Both exterior and interior simply finished. The upper part of the tower has a distinctive jagged shape with pierced openings and bracing to reduce wind resitance. Glazed observation room at top. Inside there is a contrast in finishes between the smooth outer skin and more textured jump formed surfaces. Included as a unique structure. This is the only lift testing tower in Britain and one of only two in Europe. There is a small (60m) tower in France. The building is important too, as a demonstration of the importance of lift technology to modern tall building construction. It is also a significant local landmark.

{8} Builders were Tileman and Co of London. After the Express Lift Company was taken over by Otis in 1996, the works were closed in 1999 and were demolished apart from the tower. A subsequent application to demolish the tower was refused and it is now, once again, used as a resarch, development and testing facility for lifts and associated products.

<1> 1997, List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest, (unchecked) (Catalogue). SNN46490.

<2> 1976, List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest ("Greenback"), H14 (unchecked) (Catalogue). SNN1000.

<3> Clews Architects, 1980s, Database for Listing of Historic Buildings of Special Architectural Interest: Northamptonshire, 15/ (Digital archive). SNN102353.

<4> Northamptonshire Record Office, 2009-12, Northamptonshire Archives and Heritage Service Newsletter, p.5 (unchecked) (Newsletter). SNN106548.

<5> Ellison, M., 1999, Express Lifts factory complex, (unchecked) (Slides). SNN107073.

<6> Ellison, M., 1999, SMR Report form, (unchecked) (SMR Report Form). SNN107074.

<7> Sampson Walton Holmes and Partners, 1980, Express Lift Tower - Scheme Design and Alterations, (unchecked) (Plan). SNN107075.

<8> Perkins, P, Whittaker, R and Denton, A, 2022, A Guide to the Industrial Heritage of Northamptonshire, p. 69/ Site 307 (Book). SNN113793.

Record last edited

Jan 30 2025 9:51AM