French Observatory

The Observatoire de la COte d'Azur is an astronomical observatory located on top of Mount Gros in Nice, France, and at the time of its construction was the highest observatory in the world.

The observatory was built in the late 18th century with Charles Garnier as chief architect and Gustave Eiffel as designer of the main dome. The observatory is a place of science and culture where research is being done in planetology, star physics and gravitational waves.

Under the dome, at the top of the observatory, the large telescope is located 1 meter above floor level and can be accessed from the stairs. To create free access for all, including people with reduced mobility, Liftup's distributor in France, ALMA s.a. was contacted. It turned out that the EasyLift, which is a lifting platform giving access between two levels, was the right solution. EasyLift incorporates clean lines and smooth surfaces into an elegant design, which gives wheelchair users and people with walking difficulties access to levels that would normally be difficult to reach.

ALMA s.a. has fully integrated the EasyLift into the Observatoire de la COte d'Azur to preserve the architecture and aesthetics found in the building. When the lift is not in use, it is hidden under the oak floor of the dome and therefore not visible. With this unique solution ALMA s.a. have just been announced as the winner of the award for best elevator in the category Life quality and Accessibility by the committee Federation des Ascenseurs. Liftup congratulate ALMA s.a. on this award.

EasyLift is an easy to use lifting platform giving access between two levels to wheelchair users and those with impaired mobility and walking restrictions. EasyLift incorporates clean lines and smooth surfaces into its elegant design, yet it is robustly constructed. These qualities make it an outstanding choice of lift and a simple, stylish and functional way to improve accessibility.