The Most Unique Elevators Of The World

cef_junnn · Post time 15-11-2011 05:58 PM

Gateway Arch

St. Louis Missouri skyline and the Gateway Arch on the Jefferson Nation Expansion Memorial. The Arch is the tallest monument in the United States. To go to the top of the Arch, passengers in groups of five enter an egg-shaped compartment containing five seats and a flat floor. Eight compartments are linked to form a train. These compartments individually retain an appropriate level by periodically rotating every 5 degrees, which allows them to maintain the correct orientation while the entire train follows curved tracks up one leg of the arch. The trip to the top of the Arch takes four minutes, and the trip back down takes three minutes. The car doors have narrow glass panes, allowing passengers to see the interior stairways and structure of the Arch during the trip. Below is a picture of one of the cabins.

Hammetschwand Lift

Europe’s highest exterior elevator is the Hammetschwand Lift located in Switzerland. It connects a spectacular rock path with the lookout point Hammetschwand on the Burgenstock plateau overlooking Lake Lucerne.

Bailong Elevator

The highest glass elevator in the world is the Bailong Elevator situated in China and conveys tourists to the top of a 1070-feet hill. This glass elevator is built onto the side of a huge cliff in Zhangjiajie. This stomach-dropping ride is the highest and heaviest outdoor elevator in the world.

Taipei 101

The world’s fastest elevator is installed at Taipei 101. The Taipei 101 is 1667-ft., 101-storey building and has 67 elevator units, including two that service the 89th-floor observation deck and qualify as the world’s fastest. These rockets skyward at a peak speed of 3,314 ft. per minute (fpm), more than 800 fpm faster than the previous record holder in Japan’s Yokohama Landmark Tower. By comparison, an airline pilot normally maintains a climb, or descent rate, of no more than 1000 fpm.

AquaDom

In fact the AquaDom is the largest cylindrical aquarium in the world in which you can ride up with an elevator while you can watch 1,500 fish of 50 species swim around. The AquaDom definitely is the main attraction of the Berlin Sea Life Center. The Aquadom has a diameter of over 36 feet (11 meters) and is filled with about 237,750 gallons (900,000 liters) of seawater, containing about 2600 fish of over 50 species. Favourites include a big tank with manta rays and small sharks and tanks with sea horses, octopus or starfish which can all be viewed up close and you can even touch some of the sea life.

Santa Justa Lift

The Santa Justa Lift , also called Carmo Lift, is a lift in the city of Lisbon situated at the end of Rua de Santa Justa. It connects the lower streets of the Baixa with the higher Largo do Carmo (Carmo Square.) The iron lift is 45 metres tall and is decorated in neogothic style, with a different pattern on each storey. The top storey is reached by helicoidal staircases and has a terrace that offers views of Lisbon Castle, the Rossio Square and the Baixa neighbourhood. There are two lift cages, each with a wooden interior and accommodation for a maximum of 20 passengers.

Lacerda Elevator

Inaugurated in 1873, this elevator was planned and built by the businessman Antônio Francisco de Lacerda, The four elevator cages connect the 72 metres (240 ft) between the Thomé de Souza Square in the upper city, and the Cayru Square in the lower city. In each run, which lasts for 22 seconds, the elevator transports 128 persons, 24 hours a day.

Louvre Elevator

The hydraulic elevator at the Louvre in Paris is one of only a few in the world. looking like something from a sci-fi film, the open-topped lift quietly and smoothly rises from the floor at the press of a button.