Press Release Archive
Out of The Hat
Posted: 12,11,08
Out of the Hat, a new heritage and visitor centre, opened in Tewkesbury in 2007 following the painstaking repair and conversion of a grade II-listed and 17th century timber-frame building. The centre was funded by grants from the Heritage Lottery Fund and English Heritage amongst others, and comprises Tewkesbury's Tourist Information Centre on the ground floor, with its two upper floors dedicated to visitor attractions.
Utilising innovative media technology that guides visitors around the centre, Out of the Hat's philosophy is one of inclusion and interactivity. During the conversion of the old building into a new information hub for the town, the decision was made to build an extension that would facilitate full disabled access throughout. The project's architects decided on two access lifts from eca, one on either side of the building and designed to fit one wheelchair and one standing person.
One takes visitors from the ground to the first floor, and the other from the first to the second floor. Both are fitted with handrails, Braille push buttons and visual floor numbers. The lifts were designed to the architects' specifications, with glass walls contributing to the sleek new look of the building.
Technical Director of eca lifts, Chris Mann, commented 'This is a typical example of the sort of customisation we do on a regular basis.'
Out of the Hat won the 2008 Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) Award for the Wessex region for its innovative combination of sensitive conservation and modern detailing; one of the judging criteria for the awards is user experience, assessed by speaking to visitors, and the seamless integration of the building's eca-supplied lifts doubtless contributed to its success.
Posted by: Denise
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- Low Rise Transfer Lift
- Posted: 24,02,10
- Out of The Hat
- Posted: 12,11,08
- Article Refurb & Renovation News Interbuild 2007
- Posted: 02,11,07