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THE WORLD’S MOST UNUSUAL LIFTS

Elevators come in all different sizes and designs, from modern to traditional and from exciting to boring. There are still some which notably stand out from the crowd and this article is devoted to those. We have created a list of the most unusual elevators from around the world, starting in New Zealand. Sky Tower The Sky Tower, in Auckland City, New Zealand, is an observation and telecommunications tower. At 328 m high, it is the tallest man-made structure in the Southern Hemisphere. Several upper levels of the tower are accessible by the public and used as a lounge, observatory and restaurant. To get people to these levels, the tower has four elevators that are not for the faint hearted. This is because the elevator’s walls and floor are made completely out of glass, allowing you to look down as you ascend the tall tower. For allowing you to see the entire drop, this lift has made it onto the list!

Santa Justa Lift

The Santa Justa Lift, in Lisbon, Portugal, connects the lower streets of the Baixa with the 43ft higher Carmo Square. Since being built in 1902, the lift has become a tourist attraction, being a notable place to visit in Lisbon. The lift building even has an observation deck on the top floor for people to see all around Lisbon. This elevator is unusual because it solves a problem that most cities would simply solve with a staircase.

The Gateway Arch The Gateway Arch is a monument in St. Louis, USA. It stands at 630 feet and has an observation platform at the highest point. To get to the top you need to use one of two “trams” that operate somewhere between an elevator and a Ferris wheel. The “trams” are comprised of five egg shaped compartments that swing like a Ferris wheel as they ride the four minute trip to the top.

Autostadt Silos

The Autostadt in Germany is a visitor attraction for the Volkswagen Group, adjacent to its Wolfsburg factory. Notable parts of the attraction are the two 60m tall glass silos used to store newly built Volkswagen cars. When the cars arrive at the silos they are carried up to the slot they are placed in on an elevator that moves up at 1.5 metres per second. Customers from select European countries can choose to pick up the car themselves from the silos. When the customer arrives the car is delivered to them from these silos and as it hasn’t driven at all the odometer will read “0”.

Hammetschwand Lift

The Hammetschwand Lift in Switzerland connects a path with a lookout point on the Bürgenstock plateau, where people can look over the beautiful view of Lake Lucerne. Taking people up 153m in less than one minute, it is the highest exterior elevator in Europe. The lift has a very slim and tall appearance and at the top it looks similar to a church spire.

AquaDom

The AquaDom elevator is located in the Radisson Blu Hotel in Berlin, Germany. The transparent elevator is submerged in 1,000,000 litres of water in a 25 meter tall aquarium. The aquarium has over 1,500 fish in it from 50 species. The lift is fascinating to look at whether you are in the elevator or not.  If you are looking for passenger lifts for your home or business then we can definitely help. Here at Axess2, we can provide you with a lift to meet whatever requirements you might have. For more information, contact us on 01200 405 005.