A face lift for Woolwich foot tunnel
Apex Lifts has successfully renovated the two lifts in the Woolwich foot tunnel as part of an £11.5m refurbishment programme to breathe life back into the Victorian structure.
The Woolwich foot tunnel has had a major refit as part of a five-year, £11.5 million programme by the Royal Borough of Greenwich, to see improvements made to both this foot tunnel and the one in Greenwich, for which Apex installed two new 90 person (6750kg) lifts in 2012.
The free river crossings in Greenwich and Woolwich, which opened in 1902 and 1912 respectively, are used for a combined 1.5 million journeys every year. Recent works have seen a reduction in leakage, improved drainage and the introduction of new technology - all of which make for a safer passage. Apex Lifts has formed a crucial piece in the jigsaw, renovating the 40-person, two-floor, grade II listed lifts, and restoring disabled access to the Woolwich foot tunnel.
“It is incredibly exciting to be involved in a project with such a rich heritage and culture. This is the first time since the tunnels were built - over 100 years ago - that this extent of work has been carried out on them, and Apex Lifts is proud to be a part of the process of regeneration,” says Warren Jenchner, Managing Director of Apex Lifts.
The Sidcup-based manufacturer is renowned for installing lifts in unusual and historic buildings, with a number of Grade-I listed structures, including the Lloyd’s Building and Windsor Castle, featuring in its portfolio.
“Sustaining the heritage of the Woolwich tunnel was of paramount importance,” explains Jenchner. “Whilst we’ve updated the technology, we’ve retained what we could of the original lifts. The 1912-original panels were removed, restored, polished, and reused. The newly renovated lifts are now in operation, looking great, and running smoothly.”
Warren Jenchner
Apex Lifts
warren@apexlifts.com
www.apexlifts.com
About Apex Lifts
Apex Lifts is London’s largest independent lift manufacturing and elevator servicing company. With over four decades of trading excellence, Apex maintains, repairs, refurbishes, installs and manufactures quality bespoke lifts throughout London and Southern England.
Apex Lift’s philosophy has remained unchanged for 43 years: Our commitment to excellence will always be demonstrated in the service we provide. The first company within the UK lift industry to be awarded all three major quality management accreditations, over the years Apex has secured some of the most prestigious lift contracts, including for the Royal Households.
Delivered from our in-house facilities Apex provides flexible out of hours amenities and lift services, and whilst no installation or service contract is ever the same, every one conforms to stringent European and British Standards. Apex Lifts is dedicated to providing a standard of product and service that will not just meet your needs, but exceed your expectations.
At Apex, we understand how important employees are, and pride ourselves on our training and continued development of apprentices and staff. We have an unrivalled team of highly skilled personnel who have dedicated many years of hard work to serving our business and our customers. Every Apex Lift's staff member must display at pre-appointment stage obvious communication and people skills, in addition to understanding the importance of a flexible ‘can do’ approach.
Apex Lifts is an EAL approved assessment centre and the Apex Training Academy provides support not only for our own staff, but for our clients too, so you can get a real insight in to operating and maintaining your own lifts and elevators.
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