FlexStep

FlexStep at Asan City Hall

Design that connects levels – and people
At Asan City Hall in South Korea, the team faced a unique architectural challenge: each floor of the building is divided into two half levels, making it difficult for people with reduced mobility to move freely between floors.

The old inclined platform lift had been decommissioned due to repeated technical issues and stricter safety requirements. Instead, the stairways have now been replaced with an impressive and innovative solution featuring six FlexStep lifts.

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Asan City Hall

A building of half levels – and half possibilities

Asan City Hall was built with a distinctive architectural layout where each floor consists of two half levels. While elevators connected the main floors, only stairs linked the offset levels. This created significant barriers for employees and visitors with limited mobility – including a wheelchair user who had trouble reaching the staff cafeteria in the basement.

Following ongoing technical problems and tighter safety regulations, the existing inclined platform lift was removed. The facility management then began searching for a safer, more reliable, and visually elegant alternative.

FlexStep

Complex challenge, elegant solution

The building’s facility manager contacted UD Center Co. Ltd., Liftup’s official partner in Korea, to find a solution that could combine safety, aesthetics, and functionality.

UD Center proposed Liftup’s FlexStep – a combined staircase and lifting platform that can change function at the push of a button. A total of six FlexStep lifts were installed – two units per floor.

What makes this installation truly special is that each pair of FlexSteps is electronically connected and controlled from a single call station. When activated, the two FlexSteps move synchronously and operate as one seamless solution that elegantly connects the offset levels.

The result is a harmonious, safe, and efficient system that provides equal access for all, without disrupting the building’s architectural design.

A symbol of equality

“FlexStep forbandt ikke kun de forskudte niveauer – den byggede bro mellem tilgængelighed og ligestilling”
- UD Center, Syd Korea

Balancing design, safety, and accessibility

The FlexStep solution at Asan City Hall combines space efficiency, usability, and aesthetic integration. When not in use, it functions as a regular staircase that blends naturally into the building’s design. When activated, it transforms effortlessly into a stable and secure lifting platform for wheelchair users and people with reduced mobility.

FlexStep

The FlexStep stairlift is designed to function both as an ordinary staircase and as a wheelchair lift. Developed and manufactured by Liftup, the FlexStep is flexible and equally useful for pedestrians and wheelchair users alike. FlexStep is an innovative 2-in-1 solution and saves space compared to installing both a flight of stairs and a separate lift.