Otis Elevator Co. delivered and installed a custom-made glass elevator to carry visitors to the Empire State Building’s observatory, which was recently renovated.
Otis Elevator Co. delivered and installed a custom-made glass elevator to carry visitors to the Empire State Building’s 102nd-floor observatory, which was just renovated. Otis designed the glass elevator — a unit with steel-reinforced flat belts in place of conventional steel cables — to provide a ride designed to enhance the experience of visitors to the 102nd-floor observatory. The observatory, now enclosed in floor-to-ceiling windows, provides 360-degree views of New York City and beyond.
Otis engineered and installed the Empire State Building’s original elevators in 1931 – the fastest and most advanced of their day. Eighty years later, Empire State Realty Trust entrusted Otis with the system’s modernization.
The modernization, which began in 2011, is also designed to save time and energy while boosting overall efficiency. The modernized elevator system uses 50 to 75% less energy than the original system. Regenerative technology captures energy that would otherwise be wasted as heat and returns it to the building’s power grid for use by other systems.
“Our 102nd-floor observatory is a key aspect of our newly reimagined visitor experience,” said Jean-Yves Ghazi, president, Empire State Building Observatory. “The all-glass mast car was custom-made at our request to make a visit to the 102nd floor simply unforgettable.”
The building’s elevators transport 10 million tenants, guests and visitors each year and play an integral role in nearly every visit to the Empire State Building, transporting passengers from the ground floor to the observation deck and every floor in between.
Otis Elevator Co.
– Edited from an Otis press release by CFE Media.
