The National Theatre in Mannheim is the oldest local theatre in Germany, having celebrated its 225th anniversary on 7 October 2004. Famed for it operas and musical theatre, the building has been home to thousands of shows in its lifetime and remains one of the busiest theatres in Germany today.
Movement of heavy goods into or out of the theatre is an essential part of putting on the show. After issues of reliability with the existing lift system in the theatre it became clear a replacement was required. The brief was the lift drive system needed to be bespoke, heavy duty and robust so that it could handle high capacity but at the same time be environmentally friendly and low maintenance.
Only’s SERAPID’s LinkLift technology could tick all those boxes and with the high level of reliability needed.
The retrofit of the existing lift space needed a tailor-made movement solution. Using its LinkLift technology SERAPID custom-designed a 31.5 tonne truck lift into a confined space alongside an external wall and between two entrances. LinkLift elevator columns were used alongside linear wall guides to ensure absolute precision. Easily installed into the existing elevator pit, the electro-mechanical lift has the added bonus of being space saving as it is machine-roomless, leaving the theatre with much needed storage space where their was once hydraulic machinery.
The refurbished lift is now fit for purpose, reliable and ready for the next generation of theatre productions.