Elevator World

MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC INDIA TO BUILD BENGALURU PLANT

Mitsubishi Electric India plans to build a 26,400-m2 plant, 41-m-tall test tower and training center on 89,000 m2 during the current fiscal year in Bengaluru, the Deccan Herald reports. India's economic and elevator market outlooks are favorable compared with those of North America, Europe and Japan, Mitsubishi Electric Managing Director Makoto Kitai observed. The new plant will have an annual production capacity of 5,000 units. Remarking India has the second-largest elevator market after China, Kitai observed annual demand rose to 47,000 units in India in 2015.

IGV TO CELEBRATE 50TH ANNIVERSARY

IGV Group SpA founder Giuseppe Volpe, along with his children, Matteo and Maria Volpe, plan to host a celebration marking the company’s 50th anniversary on June 25 at company headquarters in Milan, Italy. While enjoying authentic Italian cuisine and a live cooking demonstration, guests will visit the new DomusLift® showroom, watch a video about IGV’s history and listen to a speech by President Giuseppe Volpe.

IN MEMORIAM: ANTHONY C. “TONY” CAPUTO

Anthony C. "Tony" Caputo of Longboat Key, Florida, and Bridgewater, New Jersey, passed away on May 13 at the age of 89. An electrical engineer, he worked for various companies in the electrical field, until he entered the elevator industry in 1980 by founding Equipment Specialty Products, Inc., representing various manufacturers. He was associated with Imperial Electric of Ohio for 36 years. He was a member of the National Association of Elevator Contractors and regularly attended its annual conferences until last year, when he retired. He is survived by his wife of 64 years, Gilda; son, Steven; daughter, Gilda; seven grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; and two nephews. Funeral services took place on May 17 in Peapack, New Jersey. In lieu of flowers, the family asks for support of "Team Tony" in the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's Light the Night Walk, taking place on October 15 at Forrestal Village in Princeton, New Jersey.

http://www.elevatorworld.com/industry-news/may-24-2016/

RESIDENTIAL TOWER NEAR BOSTON’S FENWAY PARK PLANNED

Trans National Properties (TNP) has joined the fray of developers with towers in the works in Boston, with plans to build a 340-ft.-tall, 360,000-sq.-ft. residential building with ground-level retail a block away from Fenway Park at 2 Charlesgate West, Real Estate Inc. reports. Also in the Fenway area, Samuels & Associates is developing the 30-story, residential Pierce Boston at 1325 Boylston Street. The TNP project was designed by David Manfredi with Elkus Manfredi Architects and is planned to include infrastructure improvements for the heavily foot trafficked area.

CHICO STATE: INSPECTIONS LAG, BUT ELEVATORS IN GOOD SHAPE

California State University (Chico State) in Chico, California, says its 20 campus elevators are in good working order despite some having expired inspection certificates, The Orion reports. The university says employees from thyssenkrupp, a company it pays US$150,000 a year for elevator service and repair, joined state inspectors starting in early April and hopes to have all the certificates up to date within a few weeks. A campus official states the inspection and renewal process is often lengthy.

THYSSENKRUPP TO HOST TEST TOWER MEDIA DAY IN ROTTWEIL

On June 1, thyssenkrupp plans to host an exclusive event at its new test tower in Rottweil, Germany. CEO Andreas Schierenbeck and Rottweil Mayor Ralf Broß will present an overview of the tower and describe its impact on Rottweil. The event will include a tour of the tower and a visit to Germany’s highest viewing platform, incorporated into the tower and expected to be a major tourist attraction for the area.

41-UNIT ORDER FOR KONE IN INDONESIA

KONE has won a 41-unit order to provide the vertical transportation system for the Sopodel Office Tower+Lifestyle buildings in the central business district of Jakarta, Indonesia. Developed by PT. Toba Pengembang Sejahtra, the buildings, one housing offices and the other a hotel, are scheduled for delivery in 2017. The order consists of 26 MiniSpaceTM and nine MonoSpace® elevators, six TravelMasterTM escalators, a destination-control system and E-LinkTM remote monitoring.

TALLEST BUILDING IN U.K. CITY GREENLIGHTED

What will become the tallest building in Salford, U.K., a 44-story, 130-m-tall residential structure at Exchange Court in the Greengate area, has been given the green light by city officials, Construction Enquirer reports. AQ Investments plans to start construction in June, with an expected completion in late 2018. The new building will contain approximately 350 apartments. It represents continued activity on the part of AQ, which has approximately 1,600 apartments under construction across four other sites in the area.

RESIDENTIAL TOWER POISED TO ASCEND IN MIDTOWN NYC

Foundation work has largely wrapped up, and vertical construction is set to start on a 62-story, 426-unit mixed-use tower in the 200 block of West 53rd Street between Eighth Avenue and Broadway in Midtown New York City (NYC), New York YIMBY reports. The building was designed by CentraRuddy and is being developed by Algin Management. Featuring a 90-car parking garage and outdoor terraces on several floors, it will stand 675 ft. tall and contain 542,276 sq. ft.

http://www.elevatorworld.com/industry-news/may-20-2016/

TEI HIRES ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE

New York City-based TEI Group has hired Sarah Kapitanoff as an account executive. Prior to joining TEI Group, Kapitanoff spent 10 years at thyssenkrupp's Manhattan, New York, branch and three years at Otis before that. She is a graduate of Arizona State University with a degree in Business and Communications. She stated, “I look forward to being part of a team that delivers safe, quality workmanship, delivered with integrity to each and every customer.”

51-STORY MIXED-USE TOWER FOR BOSTON’S FINANCIAL DISTRICT

A development team consisting of global real-estate company Hines and China's Gemdale Properties & Investment Corp. Ltd. plans to build a 51-story, mixed-use building at Boston's bustling South Station in the Financial District, SkyRise Cities reports. Conceived by Pelli Clarke Pelli, the building would have 26 office floors, starting on the ninth floor, with residential floors above. It would be part of the renovation and expansion of the turn-of-the-century station, through which 152,000 passengers pass each day. Hines could start construction by 2017 on what would be the tallest building in the Financial District.

GAL TO PRESENT SEMINAR, PLANT TOUR FOR ECNY MEMBERS

GAL Manufacturing Corp. plans to present a seminar and plant tour for members of the Elevator Conference of New York (ECNY) on June 8 and 9 at 50 East 53rd Street, Bronx, New York. The event is from noon to 4:30, and lunch will be available. Members are asked to pick one of the two days to attend. It is intended for contractors, consultants and professionals who use or specify GAL products. There is no charge to attend. Visit the ECNY website for more information.

http://www.elevatorworld.com/industry-news/may-19-2016/

OTIS TO OUTFIT TALLEST RESIDENTIAL BUILDING IN SRI LANKA

Otis has been selected to provide 19 5-mps elevators to the 240-m-tall, 68-story Altair in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Upon completion, it will be the tallest residential structure with the fastest elevators in Sri Lanka. Seven of the 19 units will be manufactured at Otis' Bengaluru, India, facility. Indocean Developers Ltd. is developing Altair, which consists of one tower leaning against another and is described by Indocean Director K.M. Sathian as "an architectural marvel." Sebi Joseph, president of Otis India, observed: "Otis' proven high-rise elevator technologies and capability to execute complex projects with unusual structural elements were important factors in our selection."

KONE PROVIDING 54 UNITS TO CHINESE MIXED-USE PROJECT

KONE has been selected by Poly Property Group to provide 33 elevators and 21 escalators to the Liuzhou Poly International Center, a mixed-use development in Liuzhou, China, that includes a 54-story office tower, 248-m-tall hotel and shopping mall. KONE plans to deliver two MonoSpace® and 31 MiniSpaceTM elevators and 21 TravelMasterTM escalators, along with the PolarisTM destination-control and E-LinkTM remote-monitoring systems. Completion is anticipated in 2017.

SITEWORK BEGINS FOR GERMANY’S TALLEST RESIDENTIAL BUILDING

Sitework has started on the 47-story Aktivhaus, slated to be the tallest residential building in Germany, SkyRise Cities reports. Located in Frankfurt next to the Skyline Plaza retail mall, Aktivhaus will be notably "green," with energy from solar panels powering the building and landscaped balconies providing summer shade. Aktivhaus will house 240 apartments. It was designed by gsp Städtebau and Magnus Kaminiarz & Cie. Architektur.

SNAPCAB EXHIBITING AT AIA CONVENTION 2016

SnapCab intends to impress at the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Convention 2016 on May 19-21 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia. The exhibit will include a lobby with two complete elevator interiors, island down-light and continuous LED perimeter light ceilings, a 15-ft. tall x 20-ft. wide mountainscape wall and a conference room with an active display and integrated speakers. More than 175 wall panels will be faced with Corning® Gorilla® Glass. The intent of the booth is to help architects envision designs that flow from lobbies into elevators.

http://www.elevatorworld.com/industry-news/may-18-2016/

Image author: Rehman Abubakr

BUND SOHO NAMED INAUGURAL CHINA BEST TALL BUILDING

China International Exchange Committee for Tall Buildings (CITAB) and the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) jury has named Bund SOHO in Shanghai the inaugural China Best Tall Building. It was among four buildings in the running. Designed by von Gerkan, Marg and Partners Architects of Hamburg, Germany, Bund SOHO is a mixed-use development that includes four high-rise office buildings standing between 60 and 135 m tall that "are composed as elongated, shifting volumes, creating a vivid urban space with small squares and alleys leading to the waterfront."

LONG ISLAND CITY RESIDENTIAL TOWER PROGRESSING

A 33-story, 374-ft.-tall apartment tower at 44-26 Purves Street in Long Island City (LIC), New York, is progressing, with construction surpassing the 20th floor, New York YIMBY reports. One of quite a few towers recently completed or being built in LIC, 44-26 Purves is being developed by Brause Realty and Gotham Organization and was designed by FXFOWLE with a glass and copper exterior. Completion is expected in late 2017.

EW FOCUSES ON CHICAGO

ELEVATOR WORLD will focus on and feature a special advertising section on Chicago in its August issue. In addition to highlighting top companies and professionals in the bustling Chicago metropolitan area, the issue will include an in-depth look at the state of its elevator industry. It will receive bonus distribution at United 2016 in Montreal; the top 500 Chicago-area architectural and design firms, building owners and managers and developers; and, digitally, EW’s mailing lists of more than 22,000 readers. The deadline for submissions is June 15. To participate or for more information, contact the EW Editorial Department at phone: (251) 479-4514, ext. 30 or email: [email protected].

THYSSENKRUPP’S ELEVATOR WORK LEADS TO FEDERAL CONTRACT

thyssenkrupp's performance servicing more than 350 elevator systems for Germany's Federal Employment Agency was a deciding factor in the company being awarded a US$1.14-million, four-year contract to service nearly 20,000 of the agency's automatic doors and related mechanisms, thyssenkrupp announced. The company's elevator track record, along with its service concept, nationwide service network and customer portal prompted the federal government to award thyssenkrupp its biggest door-related order ever.

3 HUDSON BOULEVARD RISING IN NYC’S HUDSON YARDS

Moinian has started work on the foundation for 3 Hudson Boulevard, a 66-story, 1,050-ft.-tall office building in the Hudson Yards development on Manhattan's far west side in New York City (NYC), Bloomberg reports. Despite the fact that no tenant has been named, Moinian is moving forward and plans to complete the 1.8-million-sq.-ft. building in 2021. Designed by Dan Kaplan of FXFOWLE Architects, the building overlooks the Hudson River and becomes part of approximately 29 million sq. ft. of office space under construction or proposed in Manhattan. Approximately 23 million sq. ft., or the equivalent of eight Empire State Buildings, remains unleased. (Image credit: Moinian Group)

AUSTIN OFFICE TOWER BLENDS TWO DISTINCT STYLES

A 25-story office tower planned in downtown Austin, Texas, at Fourth and Colorado streets, boasts two distinct styles: 12 stories of parking wrapped in terracotta topped by glass-enclosed office floors, the Austin American-Statesman reports. The developer is Brandywine Realty Trust, and Duda/Paine Architects is the designer. No timeframe has been given, but observers express confidence the structure, currently known as 405 Colorado, will be built thanks to demand for office space downtown and a historically high occupancy rate of 91.5 percent. The proposed building will offer 210,000 sq. ft. of space.

http://www.elevatorworld.com/industry-news/may-16-2016/

WORLD’S FASTEST ELEVATOR NOW EVEN FASTER

Mitsubishi Electric announced on May 10 it has increased the speed of one of the elevators in the 632-m-tall Shanghai Tower to 1,230 mpm, or 20.5 mps, which will be the fastest elevator in the world. It will travel from the second-basement level to 119th floor in 53 s. The previous top speed of the Shanghai Tower elevators was 1,080 mpm. In this new, fastest elevator, which serves the observation deck, the operator will be able to switch between 1,080 and 1,230 mpm, depending on passenger traffic. Mitsubishi Electric achieved the new top speed through new equipment, including a control panel that maximizes the traction machine's performance and an improved speed governor, brake device and buffer. The company tells ELEVATOR WORLD installation is expected to be complete by July.

KONE TO INSTALL 130 UNITS AT TURKISH HEALTH COMPLEX

KONE has been awarded a contract to install 130 elevators and escalators at the Adana Integrated Health Campus in Adana, Turkey. Incorporating innovative earthquake-resistant features, it will be the largest health campus in the Middle East, consisting of three hospitals -- including a four-tower main facility -- containing 1,550 beds. The complex is scheduled to be complete by the start of 2017 and will have 100 MonoSpace® and four TranSysTM elevators and 26 TravelMaster® escalators. The project is being done in a public/private partnership, the first in Turkey, with developer Meridiam.

DOWNTOWN DENVER CONSTRUCTION BOOM CONTINUES

Downtown Denver's construction boom shows no signs of slowing, with US$2.5 billion in hotel, residential and office projects underway or on the drawing boards, The Denver Post reports. The Downtown Denver Partnership annual report stated there were 18 projects underway as of May, with another 14 in the works. Towers under construction now include a 40-story office building, 1144 Fifteenth at 15th and Lawrence streets that will house more than 600,000 sq. ft. of office space when complete in 2018 and a 22-story, 311,000-sq.-ft. office building at 14th and Lawrence streets, 1401 Lawrence, expected to be complete later this year.

http://www.elevatorworld.com/industry-news/may-13-2016/

OTIS MAKES BIG ANNOUNCEMENTS AT WEE EXPO

Otis made a pair of big announcements at World Elevator & Escalator (WEE) Expo on May 10: It plans to complete a 270-m-tall test tower and R&D facility in Shanghai by the end of 2018, and has made the SkyBuildTM self-climbing construction elevator a standard option in its SkyRise® line. Describing the tower and facility as a testament to Otis’ continued commitment to customers in China and beyond, Otis observed the test tower will be the tallest above-ground test tower in the world upon completion. SkyBuild is an innovative product that transforms from a construction elevator to a permanent one upon a building’s completion. Watch the SkyBuild video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bq3snvXSGvE&feature=youtu.be

MEERAN PROMOTED TO MANAGING DIRECTOR OF ETA MELCO

A. Ahamed Meeran, previously executive director, Global Operations, ETA Melco Elevator Co. LLC, has been promoted to managing director of the organization. Headquartered in Dubai, the company has Mitsubishi elevator/escalator subsidiaries in 24 countries. Meeran holds an Engineering degree from The College of Engineering in Chennai, India, and has a management certification from the Indian Institute of Management in Ahmedabad, India. ETA MELCO experienced phenomenal growth during Meeran's 10-year tenure as executive director. During this time, the number of units sold surged to 55,000 from 30,000 in the mid 2000s.

VERTICAL TRANSPORTATION COMING TO INDIAN RAIL STATIONS

Seven railway stations in Allahabad, India, are getting elevators or escalators, The Times of India reports. North Central Railway is providing three lifts at Kanpur, two at Allahabad, and one each at Agra Cannt and Mathura. Escalators are being installed at the Aligarh, Tundla and Chheoki stations. The project is funded, and work has already started.

http://www.elevatorworld.com/industry-news/may-12-2016/

O’KEEFE ELEVATOR ELECTS NEW OFFICERS IN HISTORIC VOTE

The board of O'Keefe Elevator Co., exclusive thyssenkrupp distributor in Nebraska and Iowa, elected new officers in a historic vote that named Bret Abels president and chief operating officer -- the first non-family member to serve as president since the company's founding more than 100 years ago. Abels previously served as senior vice president. Dennis B. Wychulis was named chairman of the board and chief executive officer; Alan L. Gilmore, senior vice president and secretary; Sam M. Sennett, vice president, Service; and Scott D. Ethington, chief financial officer and treasurer. The changes were unanimously approved by the grandchildren of O'Keefe founder Denis O'Keefe, Sr., who are all represented on the board and own 100% of the business.

OTIS PRESENTING AT AIA CONVENTION 2016

Otis’ Senior Manager, New Equipment Mary Ryan and New Equipment Project Manager, North America Chiara Perry plan to co-present an educational session entitled “Latest Innovations in Elevator Technology” during the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Convention on May 19 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia. The session will cover intelligent building strategies, destination dispatch, the future of the passenger experience and self-climbing elevators. Otis will also have scale models of its Gen2® and HydroFitTM elevator systems on display at the expo, which continues through May 21.

TALLER BUILDINGS TAKING SHAPE IN COSTA RICAN CAPITAL

Data shows there has been a 30% increase in the amount of space for buildings taller than five stories approved in the greater San Jose, Costa Rica, metropolitan area from April 2014-March 2015, The Tico Times reports. Slightly more than 1 million m2 has been approved. Projects underway or on the drawing boards include the 25-story Latitude Los Yoses residential tower and the 40-story Torre 40 office building which, if built, would surpass the 30-story Torres Paseo Colón, Costa Rica's tallest building.

http://www.elevatorworld.com/industry-news/may-11-2016/