The technology of elevators develops as quickly as they get you to your floor.
At Simplex Elevators, we’re always on the hunt for new innovations in lifts that we can bring to Australians in their homes and offices. Here are five of the fastest elevators in the world with features that inspire our elevators.
The top five fastest elevators in the world are all in Asia, home to high-density metropolises including Shanghai, Seoul, Taipei and Tokyo. Given the hustle and bustle of Hong Kong, it’s no surprise that its finance centre makes the top five for lift speed.
The Two International elevator races up a 240 metre shaft, reaching a top speed of 33 kilometres per hour, roughly the same velocity. Going from ground to roof takes passengers just 24 seconds.
An even speedier Japanese lift completed in 1993, the Yokohama Tower lift, takes 24 seconds from bottom to top. That’s roughly around the time it takes to brew a shot of espresso.
The Yokohama Landmark Tower stands at 296 metres in height, though, meaning the elevator speeds through all 69 floors at 45 kilometres an hour.
The financial centre of Taipei, the 101 building is the oldest and tallest green building on Earth. The building’s unique design is an ode to Taiwan’s traditional architecture built with modern materials.
On top of this, its elevator whizzes passengers to the top of the 89th floor in a time of just 37 seconds. This is equivalent to a heart racing 60.6 kilometres per hour.
The newest construction on this list, the CTF Finance Centre, opened in Tianjin in China’s Guangzhou province in 2016, boasting a unique terracotta design with a modern, high-speed lift to boot. .
The capsule structure traction lift steals from high-speed rail technology with modern heat-resistance built into its brakes.
The modern lift wasn’t intended to break records, according to the developers. The elevator has done so anyway, racing through 95 floors in just 45 seconds, or 72 kilometres an hour.
The Shanghai Tower not only boasts the record for the nation’s tallest building but the world’s fastest elevator, which also holds the Guiness World Record for the tallest elevator in a building.
The Nexway lift rockets up Shanghai Tower at 73.8 kilometres per hour – about as fast as a cheetah can run – whizzing up 118 storeys in a time of 55 seconds.
The elevator is said to have an unparalleled view of The Bund waterfront, home to Shanghai’s most amazing sights.
Check out our blog covering the latest innovations in elevator technology here.