Application
A lift lobby is a corridor with a trolley problem.
The wall takes hits at 600 to 900 mm, every day, from luggage, trolleys and cleaning equipment. That is the band to design for, not the wall above it.
In a lift lobby, specify 20 mm cast travertine with a filled face, and design the joint layout so the door surrounds land on a panel edge rather than mid-panel. Because the panel is bracket-fixed or bonded in large pieces, a damaged panel can be replaced individually without touching the rest of the wall.
The impact band
Most damage in a lift lobby happens between 600 and 900 mm above floor level, where a trolley or a case hits the wall. On a banded travertine, that is also where the pattern is most visible. Two options: accept the risk and keep spares, or introduce a harder or darker band at that height so marks read as design.
Set out from the doors
A lift lobby is a sequence of door surrounds. Set the joints on the surround lines and let the field fall between them, rather than starting from a corner and letting the surround land mid-panel. A cut panel at a door frame is the most noticeable error in the room.
| Element | Detail | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Door surround | Joint on the line | Avoids a cut at the frame |
| Skirting | Shadow gap, no skirting | Cleaner and easier to clean |
| Impact band | Consider a different tone | Marks read as intent |
| Lift reveal | Same panel, formed return | No visible cut edge at the reveal |
Cleaning in a lobby
A filled face wipes; an open pore holds dust and shows hand marks at the button panel. In a lobby, the cleaning contractor sets the specification, not the designer: if the surface cannot be wiped with a cloth, it will not be.
Questions buyers ask
- Which face for a lift lobby?
- Filled. Lobbies are cleaned daily with a cloth, and an open-pore face holds dust and marks at handle height.
- How are damaged panels replaced?
- Individually: the panel is released from its fixing and a replacement cast from the same mould is fitted. This works on bracket-fixed and bonded panels provided the substrate behind is intact.
- Should there be a skirting?
- A shadow gap usually reads better with large panels and is easier to clean than a skirting that collects dirt at the floor line.
Send the drawing. We will return a joint layout.
Panel layout, area, substrate and required delivery date are enough to start. Quotation within 24 hours.