Lifts don’t have to look the same. In fact, bespoke designs give you countless options that enable you to create the lift you’re envisioning in your mind. We’ve previously talked about unique lifts around the world that tourists shouldn’t miss, but there are so many to mention that we’ve decided to do a part two!
Here are some more interesting lifts that make the delight of their passengers and that you should visit at least once:
LOUVRE MUSEUM (PARIS, FRANCE)
The Louvre is one of the most visited museums in the world and, in 2016, it was actually the world’s most visited, with 7.3 million people drawn to its art. While most of the museum is dedicated to historic and artistic exhibitions, there is still a place for the modern here – case in point, the amazing lift that is as much as an attraction as the art itself!
This one-of-a-kind lift doesn’t even have a cabin, but an open space for the passengers instead. The hydraulic, cylindrical lift ‘grows’ out of the floor and the surrounding spiral staircase makes it all even more special and spectacular.
This elevator can take up to 10 people at once and its design draws the eye of visitors with its uniqueness and futuristic design.
UMEDA HANKYU BUILDING (OSAKA, JAPAN)
Mitsubishi Electric was responsible for installing not one, but five unique elevators in the 41-storey Umeda Hankyu Building. Each lift can carry up to 80 passengers and has a maximum weight capacity of 11,547! These astonishing numbers make these lifts the size of a small flat, measuring 11.15 feet wide by 9.2 feet long by 8.5 feet tall – totalling 102.58 square feet per lift.
MERCEDEZ-BENZ MUSEUM (STUTTGART, GERMANY)
This museum houses a lot of history and amazing surprises, one of which is the elevators inside the building, in the central museum hall. These lifts move on vertical rails that have been fixed to the walls that resemble large metal capsules. The elevator takes less than 30 seconds to go from the ground floor to the top one.
These lifts are renowned for their unique shape and incredibly interior design of the cabins – with a retro-futuristic design that allows them to stand apart from other lifts, you soon won’t forget your visit to this amazing location!
RISING RISE (OASIS OF THE SEAS)
While not exactly part of a building, the Rising Tide lift is, nevertheless, an impressive lift that shouldn’t be missed by tourists! Located in the world’s largest cruise ship, the MS Oasis of the Seas, part of what makes it so peculiar and unique is that it’s both an elevator and a bar!
It can hold up to 35 patrons at once and connects the ship’s Central Park deck to the Royal Promenade in a two-story trip, which takes 8 minutes – it might seem slow, but it means you’ll have time to get that drink while enjoying the views before you reach your destination.
SANTA JUSTA (LISBON, PORTUGAL)
Inaugurated on July 10th of 1902, this historic lift is located in Lisbon and has been considered a national monument since 2002 (on its 100th anniversary). Created by Raoul Mesnier du Ponsard, an engineer that was also an apprentice of Gustav Eiffel, this neo-Gothic lift was originally powered by steam.
GATEWAY ARCH (ST LOUIS, USA)
The St Louis Gateway Arch is considered the world’s tallest arch and the tallest man-made monument in the Western Hemisphere. The arch is built from stainless steel and has the shape of a weighted catenary arch; there are two sets of 1076-step emergency stairs (one in each leg of the arch), a 12-passenger lift to the 372-foot (or 133-metre) height, and a tram in each leg.
Each of these trams is a chain of eight, cylindric, five-seat compartments with a small window on the doors. Each tram is capable of transporting 40 passengers. They depart every 10 minutes and the trip upwards lasts four minutes while the trip to the bottom takes three minutes.
The world is brimming with unique lifts that need to be seen to be believed so, if you ever find yourself in any of these places, don’t disregard the elevators, but enjoy a trip of a lifetime in these special creations instead!
At Axess2, we love lifts and want to you make sure you have the lift you already dreamed of, be it in your home or commercial property, so get in touch with us if you’d like to discuss your elevator needs; our fantastic team is always on hand to answer any questions you may have.