Archinect - News

Installation of UltraRope elevators begins at Kingdom Tower

2015-05-11T15:29:00-04:00

KONE has initiated the first stage of elevator and escalator installations at Saudi Arabia’s 1km-tall Kingdom Tower. The Finnish lift firm is currently fitting elevator guiderails at the project, which is being developed by Jeddah Economic Company (JEC) and is set to become the world’s tallest building on completion.

Rising Towers Escalate Need for Faster Lifts

2014-12-01T14:48:00-05:00

When Shanghai Tower opens as China’s tallest building next year, the 2,073-foot (632 m) tower will feature elevators capable of traveling 40.3 miles (64.8 km) per hour, or 59 feet (18 m) per second, a new milestone. [...] The question facing the industry today: how fast can elevators go without sacrificing comfort? [...] At 66 feet (20 m) per second, even the slightest vibration will create a shock for passengers.

The new elevator technology that will let cities soar far higher

2014-08-01T13:28:00-04:00

Enter the UltraRope, a new kind of lift cable developed by Finnish elevator company Kone. Eschewing woven steel cable in favour of carbon fibre, the UltraRope is described as “lift-hoisting technology” [...]. Strong and lightweight, the UltraRope will supposedly allow lifts to travel up to 1km in a single run, double what’s currently possible with a steel cable. The UltraRope is 90% lighter than the equivalent steel cable, thereby reducing the load and enabling far taller continuous runs.