Glass-Shaft H1 Lift for a Surry Hills Workplace
An H1 passenger lift has been installed inside a freestanding, full-height glass shaft at 66 Sophia Street, Surry Hills — giving step-free access between levels of a busy inner-Sydney workplace without closing off the space around it.
The lift was set alongside the building’s existing feature staircase as part of an occupied commercial fit-out. A bespoke glass-and-steel shaft with a black powder-coated frame was chosen so the lift reads as part of the architecture rather than a bolt-on, keeping sightlines open across the floor. The gearless, machine-room-less H1 suited the site for exactly this reason: a compact footprint, quiet travel and low running costs, with the drive housed within the shaft itself.
The finished result pairs the dark steel-and-glass exterior with a warm timber-look car interior, a glazed rear panel and a stone-look floor — an accessible, energy-efficient lift that lifts the whole space rather than crowding it.
Key Benefits of the H1
- No separate machine room — the gearless drive sits within the shaft, saving valuable floor space in a tight commercial fit-out.
- Freestanding glass-and-steel shaft integrates with the existing staircase and keeps the space open and light.
- Gearless traction with Class A energy efficiency (ISO 25745) and automatic cabin-light switch-off for low running costs.
- Automatic doors with precise floor levelling for easy, step-free entry — ideal for trolleys, prams and wheelchairs.
- Automatic rescue always active, plus emergency communications, for reliable everyday peace of mind.
Installed by Direct Lifts Australia
Our engineering teams across NSW, QLD and VIC deliver precision installs with full safety checks and minimal disruption — here, working cleanly around an occupied, operating workplace from delivery through to handover.
Technical Specifications
- Application: Commercial passenger lift (H1 platform)
- Model: H1
- Drive technology: Regulated gearless traction — machine-room-less (MRL)
- Controller: Low-energy multiprocessor controller
- Capacity: 4 passengers (320 kg)
- Rated load: 320 kg
- Levels served: 2
- Travel distance: Approx. 3.5 m
- Speed: 0.15 m/s
- Doors: Automatic side-opening (2-panel), glazed
- Shaft: Freestanding structural glass with black powder-coated steel frame
- Pit: Reduced pit — from 150 mm
- Electrical requirement: Single-phase, 230V
- Energy rating: Class A (ISO 25745), automatic cabin-light switch-off
- Compliance: Australian AS1735; 24/7 emergency communications supplied as standard
Related Projects
See Our Actual Real Project Solution Using A DDA Compliant Lift Range
lets go. start your project now
Contact our specialists for friendly lifts guidance.
