Shanghai Tower, the world's second tallest building. (Photo : Mitsubishi)
Shanghai Tower, the world's second tallest building at 632 meters, operates the world's fastest elevator.
This elevator, which was made by Japan's Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, can transport people at a speed of 1,230 meters per minute or 20.5 meters per second. This means passengers can travel from the second-level basement to the 119th floor in just 53 seconds.
That should make a lot of ears pop. The top floor or Level 127 is located at a height of 587 meters.
Mitsubishi said the record-breaking speed was achieved through the development of new technologies and equipment, including a control panel that can maximize the elevator's traction performance. The elevator also features improvements in its safety devices such as the speed governor, brake device and buffer.
Mitsubishi installed the high-speed elevator last July. It said one of the three elevators servicing the observation deck uses this high-speed elevator technology because that elevator's hoistway dimension is sufficient for installation.
Shanghai Tower will have the option of switching speeds between 1,080 and 1,230 meters per minute according to actual passenger traffic conditions.
The Shanghai Tower has 106 elevators. It has 127 above ground and five underground floors.
Other Chinese skyscrapers also operate super fast elevators. The CTF Finance Centre (formerly the CTF Guangzhou, Chow Tai Fook Centre) in Guangzhou has an elevator that can transport people at a speed of 20 meters per second. That enables passengers to reach the top floor from ground level in just 45 seconds.
CTF Finance Centre has a height of 530 meters and has 111 floors.
Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest tower, has an elevator with a speed of 10 meters per second at full speed.
Located in Dubai, capital of the United Arab Emirates, the Burj Khalifa stands 829.8 meters tall. Its top floor or Level 154, is located at a height of 584.5 meters. It has 154 usable floors.
