Welcome to the Elevator World News Podcast. Today’s podcast news podcast is sponsored by elevatorbooks.com: www.elevatorbooks.com

NEW ELEVATOR EASES ACCESS TO ATHENS ACROPOLIS

A new, wheelchair-accessible elevator was put into service at the Athens Acropolis on December 3, according to the Greek Reporter. With its glass cab, the elevator will allow riders to see nearly unobstructed views of Athens. The bottom landing sits at the ancient promenade on the north slope of the Acropolis, and riders are taken directly to the top of the hill. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said the elevator is “an iconic project to the global community, on the International Day of Persons with Disabilities.” He said the new elevator and new pathways make the Acropolis more accessible to those with mobility difficulties. The new inclined elevator replaces a failure-prone platform lift installed on the side of the hill in 2004.

Image credit: by Eduart Bejko for Pixabay

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JAPANESE TOWER PLAN DELAYED BY TELEWORK TREND

A trend toward teleworking brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic has delayed construction of a 400-m-long, 30-story building in Nagoya, Japan, Japan Property Central reported in November. Planned by Nagoya Railroad, the mixed-use structure was originally slated to start construction in 2022, with completion anticipated in 2027, but the tentative plan now is to start construction in 2024. Its design and scale may also change, the source said. The area around Nagoya Station has seen high-rise office buildings proliferate since the 2000s, but vacancy, “even in prime buildings,” has noticeably increased since the start of the pandemic. In October, the vacancy rate stood at 4.08%.

Image credit: (c) Meitetsu Group

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TOWERS, "GREEN DISTRICT" CENTRAL TO SEOUL VALLEY PLAN

Architecture firm Henning Larsen recently released the design for Seoul Valley, a 360,600-m2 mixed-use development planned for the center of Seoul. With an aim to create a "vibrant green district" in the city center, Seoul Valley will combine office, retail, lodging and residential components within a public podium. The development will have three large towers subdivided “into smaller masses to reduce the sense of scale and create a village-like atmosphere between the spaces at ground level,” Henning Larsen said. The lowest level has gardens, terraces, and courtyards defining spaces between shops, cafés and restaurants. Seoul Valley is located in the city's flat center, between sprawling rail yards and an eight-lane freeway. Though centrally located, infrastructural barriers isolate the long-empty, 28,600-m2 site from its surroundings. Seoul Valley is part of the city's 2030 plan for urban development. Plans call for the project to enter the "Schematic Design" phase in spring 2021.

Image credit: by Henning Larsen

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TORONTO BUS STATION CLOSING TO MAKE WAY FOR HIGH RISE

BlogTO reported on December 2 that Toronto's old Union Station bus terminal, which has been in operation since 2003, is closing for good on December 4 to make way for a high-rise commercial tower. A new bus terminal, set to open on December 5, is located at 81 Bay Street, while the old terminal, at 141 Bay Street, will be torn down for the construction of the CIBC Square development's north tower. The project's 49-story south tower is nearing completion, while the 50-story north tower is expected to be finished in 2024. The tower will stand atop a glass podium and hold offices and retail space. The two towers will be connected by an elevated urban park.

Image credit: via BlogTO

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IGV GROUP NAMES CAPPELLINI ART DIRECTOR

Italy's IGV Group has named architect Giulio Cappellini art director. IGV CEO Michele Suria observed the company — which exports 85% of its products to more than 70 countries — distinguishes itself "by assigning the elevator not only a technical and functional role, but also an aesthetic one." Named one of the world's top design trendsetters by Time, Cappellini will reinforce this approach, according to IGV. "Innovating in this sector not only means creating a beautiful coating, but [also] transforming the use of the product — even if short — into a sensory experience," said Cappellini, who will lead discussions with architects on complex projects throughout the world.

Image credit: courtesy of IGV Group

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THYSSENKRUPP ELEVATOR ACQUIRES FULL STAKE IN U.S. PARTNER

thyssenkrupp Elevator has acquired a full stake in its joint-venture partner, Braun ThyssenKrupp Elevator, LLC, which has 68 employees and locations in Madison and Milwaukee, Wisconsin, thyssenkrupp announced on December 1. Formerly Braun Elevator, the company has provided elevator service in the area for more than 60 years. Its relationship with thyssenkrupp dates to the 1950s, when it became a distributor for Rotary Lift Co. (later Dover Elevator Co., which was purchased by thyssenkrupp Elevator in 1998). In 2005, thyssenkrupp Elevator entered into a joint venture with Braun, which became the exclusive provider of the OEM's goods and services in the Madison and Milwaukee markets while still under local ownership and management.

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FIVE VT COMPANIES INVITED TO BID ON LARGE U.K. PROJECT

High Speed 2 (HS2) has invited five vertical-transportation (VT) firms to bid on a project to design, deliver and maintain nearly 300 low-energy lifts and escalators for four major stations on the rail project's first phase, Construction Enquirer reported on November 23. Asked to enter bids were Fujitec UK; KONE; Otis; Schindler; and thyssenkrupp Elevator UK. The firms will tender for two separate packages covering lifts and escalators worth GBP267 million (US$356 million) and GBP198 million (US$264 million), respectively. The project will involve installation of approximately 160 elevators and 130 escalators. The contract will include 20 years of maintenance. The longest escalators will be at Old Oak Common, in West London, which will take passengers 13.5 m between subsurface platforms and the concourse level. That station, which will meet the Crossrail services to Heathrow and the West End of London, will need more than 50 elevators and escalators. Contracts are expected to be awarded next year.

Image credit: by Cnbrb for Wikipedia

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EW PROJECT OF THE YEAR WINNERS

ELEVATOR WORLD is pleased to report the winners of the 2021 Project of the Year contest. Winning projects, which will be featured in our January 2021 issue, are (with category): “Collins House” in Melbourne, Australia, submitted by Otis (Elevators, New Construction); “Whiteface Mountain Historic Elevator” in Wilmington, New York, submitted by Architectural Resources, P.C. (Elevators, Modernization); “Yitzchak Navon Train Station” in Jerusalem submitted by Otis (Escalators, New Construction); “Central-Mid-Levels Escalator and Walkway Systems” in Hong Kong submitted by Anlev Elex Elevator Ltd. (Escalators, Modernization); “Parc Turistico Observatorio 1873” in Mazatlán, Mexico, submitted by Hill Hiker, Inc. (Inclined Elevators); “Pasărea Măiastră Passenger Platform Lift” in Craiova, Romania, submitted by ELMAS SRL (Special-Purpose Lifts); “Stainless Steel Glass Elevator” in the Florida Keys submitted by UT Elevator (Private-Residence Elevators); and “Mechanical Ramp of Gran Via Vigo” in Vigo, Spain, submitted by thyssenkrupp Elevadores S.L.U. (Moving Walks).

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Welcome to the Elevator World News Podcast. Today’s podcast news podcast is sponsored by elevatorbooks.com: www.elevatorbooks.com

VDA DESCRIBES VT SYSTEM SERVING BROOKLYN SKYCRAPER

Vertical-transportation (VT) consultancy VDA recently provided ELEVATOR WORLD with a detailed description of the elevator system serving the 51-story 11 Hoyt Street in Brooklyn, New York, architect Jeanne Gang's first NYC skyscraper and one of the tallest buildings in Brooklyn. The 481-unit condominium building is served by elevators manufactured by Fujitec. The system consists of three overhead-traction, gearless, 2500-lb-capacity, 1,000-ft/min elevators serving the lower floors; three overhead traction, gearless, 2500-lb-capacity, 1,200-ft/min elevators serving the higher floors; and a dedicated overhead traction, gearless, 3500-lb-capacity, 700-ft/min dedicated service elevator. VDA Senior Associate Brian Schaulewicz says the project followed successful completion of several projects in NYC, including the Hearst Tower, for 11 Hoyt Street developer Tishman Speyer.

Image credit: from StreetEasy

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HITACHI WINS BIDS TO PROVIDE 250 ELEVATORS FOR NINE PROJECTS

Hitachi Elevator (China) has won bids to provide 250 elevators and related services for nine projects with the Shum Yip Group, Hitachi announced on November 20. Shum Yip, wholly owned by Shenzhen Municipal People's Government, is a large enterprise group that focuses on real estate development, operation services, infrastructure construction, and emerging industry investment. It is currently developing, operating and managing 47 industrial parks throughout China. Hitachi, which has collaborated with Shum Yip on previous projects, will provide elevators for the nine projects, which include a variety of commercial structures such as Grade-A office buildings, technology offices, headquarters buildings, premium residential buildings, hotels and urban-renewal projects.

Image credit: courtesy of PRNewsfoto

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