[Matt]

I don't think it's a lift. It is clear that there is no room in the back end of the house for a second floor, and the foundations of the house are too shallow for a basement floor (this has been said on BBLB before).

It will be used. The main difference between this and the target is that the target was just decoration. It will cost a lot less to paint a target on the floor than to build the glass pod thing, so I doubt the producers would go to the bother of having it added if it wasn't going to be used.