15 Most Unique Elevator Designs in the World
15 Most Unique Elevator Designs in the World
The most common elevator in the world is simply a metal box that brings you up and down. Not many people understand how many other elevator designs are out there, thus making these designs extremely creative and unexpected. This article highlights some of the most interesting lifts that show that moving up and down doesn’t have to happen inside the typical metal box design.
First on the list is the Santa Justa Lift located in the city of Lisbon, Portugal. This lift was powered by steam at first and then converted to electrical back in 1907. Designed by a man named Raul Mesnier de Ponsard in 1900, what makes this elevator unique is the view of the Lisbon Castle it offers and the fact that it contains two booths that can accommodate 24 people.
Next, we have the 630- foot Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Missouri. This lift was created by architect Eero Saarinen in 1947. The arch contains windows of observation around the apex but to reach there, passengers go into an egg-shaped compartment with a flat floor. The elevator is made up of 8 compartments that link together forming a train. Each part retains an appropriate level by rotating every 5 degrees periodically in order to maintain correct orientation. It takes a total of 4 minutes for the lift train to reach the top of the arch, then takes another three minutes to return to the ground. This elevator also allows passengers to view the interior stairways and the arch structure during their trip.
Europe’s highest external elevator was built in 1905 and is located in Switzerland. Known as the ‘Hammetschwand Elevator’, this 3,700-foot lift allows passengers to get an amazing view of Lake Lucerne. At first, the components of this elevator were made of wood and sheet metal, recently though, that was replaced with high strength glass and metal. During this transformation, the speed of the elevator was also increased, now taking one minute rather than the previous three. This lift provides one of the best views of the Swiss Alps, making it one of the most famous tourist attractions in Switzerland.
The fourth elevator on the list is the Lacerda Elevator in Brazil. This lift is unique because it connects the old and new parts of Salvador with four elevators travelling at 72m in 30 seconds. It was built in 1868 to replace the previous manual rope and pulley elevator. This lift also provides access to more than 30,000 people a day that travel between Cidade Alta and Comercio. A bonus to this elevator is the scenic view of the bay.
The next elevator we will be discussing is the Taipei 101 in Taiwan. This 101-story building has 67 elevators that move at a wild speed of 1,010 meters per minute. The lift goes so fast that it only takes 37 seconds for passengers to move from the 5thfloor to the 89thfloor.
Coming in at number six is the Bailong Elevator in China, also known as the ‘Hundred Dragons Elevator’. This lift is responsible for taking passengers up the sides of huge cliffs in Zhangjiajie, China. Not only is this elevator one of the world’s most popular tourist attractions, it also won 3 world records for being the world’s tallest full-exposure outdoor elevator, fastest traffic elevator with such a high carrying capacity, and for being the tallest double-deck sight-seeing elevator. This elevator can carry 50 passengers at once while also offering spectacular views.
Additionally, one of the 15 elevators that we are talking about is located in France. The Louvre Elevator is in the museum of Paris and is said to be one of the most unique elevators in the world, that also happens to be powered with hydraulics. This futuristic design offers a smooth ride for guests to enter and exit the museum. The Louvre elevator contains a circular platform that allows guests to easily step onto the slide-out walkway that appears when the platform comes to rest.
A unique elevator that happens to be in the US, is the Luxor Hotel Elevator in Las Vegas. The hotel itself has an interesting pyramid design that catches the eyes of tourists. Yet, the elevators inside this hotel are different because they travel at an incline of 39 degrees. This provides passengers with a view of the hotel’s popular atrium-one, which itself happens to be one of the largest in the world.
One of my personal favorites out of this list is the Aquadom in Berlin Germany. This elevator is transparent and is placed in the middle of a 82 foot tall aquarium! This aquarium is so big that it contains more than 1,500 fish of 97 different species. Every day, the fish are fed around 18 pounds of food by three or four divers. The Aquadom is also the world’s largest cylindrical tank made of acrylic glass that holds about 260,000 gallons of seawater.
Aside from all of the elevators on land there is also a unique elevator aboard the MS Oasis of the Seas. The ‘Rising Tide’ elevator is built inside the world’s largest cruise ship! This elevator can carry 35 passengers at a time bringing them to the ships ‘Central Park Deck’ to the ‘Royal Promenade’. This elevator stands out because it is the only bar-elevator combo in the world. The trip takes a total of 8 minutes, meaning you have enough time to grab a drink while you wait!
Additionally, there is the Globen Skyview elevator in Stockholm, Sweden. This elevator takes passengers to the top of the world’s largest spherical building, the Ericsson Globe. The sphere has a diameter of 361 feet and a height of 279 feet. The total trip is 30 minutes and on the external surface there are two Skyview glass gondolas providing an amazing view of Stockholm.
What houses one of the most remarkable elevator designs in the world? The Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart, Germany. The elevators were constructed into futuristic elevator pods. The pods are bolted in the central museum hall on vertical rails making the lift look like large metal capsules that connect the ground floor of the museum to the last floor. Not only does this elevator look different than any other we’ve talked about, it also makes the sound of a race car when moving!
Lifts aren’t just for carrying passengers, they can also help cyclists get up a steep hill. The Trampe Bicycle lift was built in 1993 in order to promote commuter cycling. Not only was this the world’s first bicycle lift, it also happens to be the only bicycle lift! In order to use it, commuters need to place their right foot on the moving footrest allowing the lift to take them up the steep hill of Brubakken near Gamle Bybro. It takes cyclist all the way up to the Kristiansten Fort and is very popular among students of Trondheim University.
Speaking of elevators that carry something other than people, one on this list carries boats! Opened in 2002, the Falkirk wheel is the only rotating boat lift in the world. It transports boats between the Union Canal and the Fourth and Clyde Canal in Falkirk, Scotland. The lift is powered by 10 hydraulic motors that complete one full spin in a total of 8 minutes. The tubs on the opposite side rotate at the same speed of the wheel, just in the opposite direction to level the wheel spins.
Last but not least, we have the ‘MULTI’ elevator system developed by ThyssenKrupp. This elevator is the world’s first rope-less, horizontal-vertical system and was installed into a test tower in Germany. This unique system makes use of the multiple magnetized cabins which operate on the same shaft up and down and even sideways, on an electromagnetic track. The exchanger mechanisms mounted use carbon-fiber bearings in order to allow the cars to change directions from vertical to horizontal with ease.
As you can see, there is more to elevators than the most common design we see every day. The elevators discussed in this article are elevators that stick out and break world records. Each and every lift is unique in its own ways. How will elevators of the future surpass these designs? We shall see.