Great Marlborough Street: facilities management and a five-floor lift replacement

In September 2026, Blackmoor Knight completed the replacement of a lift serving five floors at an occupied office and restaurant building on Great Marlborough Street in central London. The original lift was more than 50 years old, and the replacement provides safer, more reliable access for people using the building.

We already provide facilities management and engineering services for the property, which includes offices and a Wagamama restaurant on the ground floor. The lift replacement was a substantial project alongside that ongoing work. With the building fully occupied throughout, planning the installation meant taking account of how tenants used the premises from one day to the next.

Replacing a lift in a fully occupied building

The engineering work was only one part of the job. We also had to manage the effect it would have on the people working in the building. In a property with both offices and a restaurant, the timing of noisy or disruptive work matters, and a schedule that suits one occupier may be less convenient for another.

We kept in close contact with tenants and arranged the more disruptive stages around their working patterns. That liaison helped us plan when particular tasks could take place and manage disruption while the building remained in use.

The summer heat added another practical challenge. Some of the installation work took place inside the enclosed lift shaft, where the conditions were particularly demanding. It was one of several factors the team had to manage alongside the installation itself and the day-to-day needs of the occupiers.

From day-to-day maintenance to a major building upgrade

The lift replacement shows how an ongoing facilities management relationship can support larger engineering projects. Our familiarity with the property gave us a useful starting point for coordinating the work around the building and its tenants.

It also meant we could approach the installation in the context of how the property operates day to day.

With the replacement complete, the building now has a safer, more reliable lift serving five floors. Blackmoor Knight continues to provide facilities management and engineering support at Great Marlborough St, helping keep the property and its services in good working order.

If you’re planning an upgrade in an occupied commercial building or reviewing your ongoing maintenance arrangements, contact Blackmoor Knight to discuss what your property needs.