The most crucial elements are often the most overlooked. One fundamental one being: the elevator. Elevators have provided key characteristics in architecture’s progress over time. Beyond their simple ability to transport people up and down hundreds of floors, elevators have become doors to unexpected routes in society and design. 

What was Life like Before Elevator?

Nowadays, we are presented high rise skyscrapers in New York City as the pinnacle of luxury and status. It wasn’t always this way. In the past, buildings were limited to six stories and the top floors housed the poorest members of society, while the lowest were reserved for wealthy, upper-class members. The elevator was not introduced as such. It was actually called a ‘mechanized hoisting device’ and was introduced in the early 1800s. Initially composed of open platforms, these systems were operated by slaves or animals. Over time, these were modified for better safety and speed, making the elevator more of a tourist attraction than a transportation device. They were introduced first in luxury hotels with seats, mirrors and sometimes small chandeliers. They were later included in commercial and residential buildings.

Elevators Shape Society

The journey that led up to penthouse living was long and arduous. Wealthy society members were not so keen on this change. Both due to the long standing societal norms and the understandable safety concerns that these vertical transportation systems presented. Today elevators are reflections of societal norms that vary between cultures and times. Cognitive science researcher Rebekah Rousi, in an email to CNN, talks about how it is possible to observe people’s behaviors in elevators based on gender. Women tend to stand in the front and are more likely to look in the mirrors, while men move to the back and tend to stare at the floor. Elevators also exercise social pressure. The confined space influences any new-comers’ behaviour depending on those already present within the cart, in an attempt to conform to this temporary micro-community.

Designing an Elevator

The elevator is a combination of engineer, technology and design. The main concerns are usually its safety and efficiency. Modern elevators must take into consideration their context. For example, if an elevator is to be set in an office space then it more than likely that there will be a high density of people that will use it. This will affect the size of it, the materials and technologies used to build it. An elevator should be aesthetically pleasing. Upon entering, the user should be greeted by welcoming lighting and appropriate materials such as stainless steel, wood or glass. Many other factors come into play such as the smoothness of the cart as it ascends and descends, along with its sustainability and adaptability for the future. 

Every-Day Variety

In my apartment complex, the elevators are made of wood and closed off by two sets of doors. The first is a single wooden door with a turning handle, the second are a set of two sliding doors that need some budging before properly sliding open. The interior is in dark wood, with a medium-sized mirror opposite the entrance and plastic buttons that get stuck in their sockets if pressed too hard. In contrast, my father’s elevator in his London apartment. Cream wooden walls are illuminated by soft LEDs hidden in the roof and the metal rails. The floor is made up of marble hexagonal tiles and a key card must be scanned before pressing any of the buttons. A large mirror adorns the wall opposite the automatic, sliding metal doors. A testament to the history, evolution and design variety of the elevator.

Paternoster – The Unusual Elevator

The Paternoster is a kind of elevator that features two doorless compartments that move in an infinite loop, without ever stopping. Its designer was Peter Ellis, British architect, that invented it and installed the very first one in Liverpool alongside many other cities around Europe. Many Paternosters survive today, the most popular one being located in Prague, Czech Republic. As one can imagine, such an elevator can only hold a myriad of safety concerns. These elevators managed to cause one death per year before 2002 due to Paternosters. Some cases included people falling in the shafts (which were also doorless), transporting overly large items and the carts malfunctioning, causing those before it to essentially squish the broken one. 

Appreciate your Elevators

We have become so accustomed to these machines that we forget to recognize all that it takes for them to come to life. Their existence quite literally flipped society on its head, bringing the upper classes to the sky. Not only that, but elevators allow people with permanent or temporary disabilities to continue having access to all kinds of spaces. They have also permitted the construction of taller buildings, becoming objects of design and innovation themselves. Whatever the context, elevators play a particular role in defining building and their purposes. We should be grateful to our elevators for all they do, as long as it’s not a Paternoster. 

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