Menu Close

MEET THE WORLD’S WEIRDEST LIFTS

Some lifts are just designed to get a person from A to B – and that’s fine – but others are designed to do it with a little bit more… panache. These oddballs of the elevator world may be bizarre, with many of them looking like they’ve been brought back from the next millennia, but they can also be kind of beautiful, demonstrating just how far the limits of this great technology can be stretched. Here are three of the best.

The Umeda Hankyu Building Elevator

The Umeda Hankyu elevator is exceptional mainly because of the size; at 102.6 square feet, it is 25 square feet bigger than the average single bedroom. Found in Japan, this isn’t a simple case of building enormous structures for the sake of it, but instead solves a very real problem – getting large numbers of employees up to their offices at the same time.

When in action it carries a pretty impressive 80 passengers, all office workers, up above the department store which takes up the first 14 floors of the building. Although it may be big, it probably saves space when compared to the building multiple lifts capable of carrying the same high numbers; we definitely don’t doubt its efficiency!

The Sky Tower’s ‘Bottomless’ Floors

At the elevators in New Zealand’s ‘Sky Tower’ everything seems perfectly normal… until you actually step foot inside. At that point you realise that the floor is constructed from glass, all designed to give the rider unmatched views of the world below – a great ride for all the adrenaline-junkies out there.

If the ride up wasn’t enough of a thrill for you then you can take things to the next level once you get to the top… by jumping off! Apparently, though, the ride back down gives enough of a buzz, with the sight of the ground rushing up to meet you as you hurtle towards it.

The Trampe Bicycle Lift

Found in Norway, the Trampe bicycle list is designed to make the gruelling trip up a 426 foot hill a little bit easier for commuters. Built in 1993, it remains the only bicycle lift in the world, and a testament to human innovation… although rather alarmingly it carries people the 5 minute journey up the hill by just one foot.

The home lifts that we provide here at Axess 2 might not be as bizarre as these three, but they do draw on the same incredible technology. Please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us for more information; contact us online, at 01200 405 005 or come find us on our Facebook,  Twitter,  Google+ or  YouTube pages!