National Lift Tower

Grade II listed Express Lift Tower in Northampton is a 172 metre tall, lift testing tower that was completed in 1982 for Express Lift Company Ltd.

The tower is constructed from concrete and tapers towards the top to reduce wind resistance and the top portion of the tower has holes to let wind through for the same purpose.

There are three shafts for lift testing, the tallest being for high-speed lifts (7 metres-per-second) and runs the full-height of the tower. The other shafts are partitioned into sections, used for testing varous types of lifts. A fourth shaft is used for the service lift and there are also staircases, one of which also runs the full height of the tower. There is a glazed, obeservation room at the top of the tower.