Artspace Building in Winnipeg gets a New Wheelchair Lift

Artspace Building in Winnipeg’s historic Exchange District is a multidisciplinary arts center that houses art organizations including an art gallery, two publishing houses, Cinematheque Theatre, a live-in studio apartment, libraries and studios for filmmakers, painters, writers, and publishers. This four-story stone and brick building has been home to Artspace since 1984. The center has now got a new elevator style wheelchair lift. This ensures that visitors with mobility issues will no longer have problems accessing this well-known artistic and cultural workspace. The lift has been installed at the building’s King Street entrance.

A fine example of Richardsonian Romanesque architecture, Artspace Building is a home to a diverse community of artists, craftspeople and artistic organizations. A 55,000-square-foot warehouse was repurposed to act as exhibit and workspace for 18 arts and cultural organizations. It promotes heritage conservation and the rejuvenation of the Exchange District.

A rail style lift had been operating in the building for years, but the new self-operated wheelchair lift is much more robust and user-friendly. Modern commercial wheelchair lifts install easily and quickly in any kind of application. Models that come with a self-enclosed drive ensure fast and easy installation. Quality lifts ensure easy operation and are virtually maintenance-free. They include many high-end features such as a non-skid solid straight-through platform for added safety and sensors on underside of platform to stop when the lift meets obstructions.

Randy Joynt, the Executive Director of Artspace Inc. points out, “Though heritage buildings present unique accessibility challenges, these challenges are surmountable with the right combination of will and investment.”
The $140,000 project was jointly funded by the Winnipeg Community Infrastructure Program, the Manitoba Centennial Centre Corporation and Artspace Inc.