Axis Automatic Entrance Systems have helped finish the new little Waitrose store in the centre of Ipswich.

Waitrose is looking to improve its presence in Ipswich and as well as being part of a major scheme involving adjacent John Lewis and Waitrose stores on the outskirts of the city, the retailer also wanted to open a little Waitrose in Ipswich town centre. Previously the ground floor of an historic Grade II listed town centre building the conversion posed a number of challenges.

The Ipswich Corn Exchange is an excellent example of High Victorian civic architecture. The refurbishment involved internal and external alterations, including the reintroduction of the former Princes Street entrance. Axis re-painted and re-glazed the timber framed shopfronts and installed white polyester powder coated, aluminium screenwork to create a 4m x 3.2m entrance lobby with two automatic swing doors for separate entrance and exit. Because of local contours, the lobby was up a short flight of five steps, so they also installed an automatic telescoping door further along the frontage for use as a disabled entrance.