Taipei 101 is home to the world's fastest elevators
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The world's fastest elevators are manufactured by Japan's Toshiba Corporation. Passengers are catapulted at a speed of 1,010 metres per minute, or 60 km/h, from the fifth to the 89th floor of Taipei 101. The ride in this Ferrari among elevators lasts a me
Elevator speeds researched by Emporis, the international building-data provider, emphasise the pole position of the elevators in Taipei 101. The world’s second-fastest is located in the Yokohama Landmark Tower, which “only” manages a speed of 750 metres per minute.
The world’s tallest building, Burj Khalifa, occupies third place on the list, with a maximum elevator speed of 36 km/h. The skyscraper of superlatives does, however, offer the world’s fastest double-decker elevators. What is more, the double-decker passengers are also able to travel the longest distance currently possible in an elevator, exiting after a ride of 504 metres at the world’s highest stop, 638 metres up the building.
Overall, the race for the world’s fastest elevator is clearly being run in Asian cities. The elevators in Chicago’s John Hancock Centre are the only ones not in Asia. What is more, 2014 will see a further attraction added to the continent: the elevators that Mitsubishi is set to install in the Shanghai Tower will take over as the world’s fastest at a speed of 64.8 km/h. The tower itself will become the world’s second-tallest building on completion.
From 2014 onwards, with the Shanghai Tower, Shanghai World Financial Centre and Jin Mao Tower, there will be no fewer than three skyscrapers containing some of the world’s fastest elevators located right next door to one another. For skyscraper fans looking for spectacular elevator rides, Shanghai will be impossible to ignore.
