Elevator manufacturing giant ThyssenKrupp announced its plans to develop a rope-free elevator last year. These new elevators will instead be moved by magnets, allowing for vertical and horizontal movement of multiple cars in one shaft.
Now, according to Popsci, the multinational conglomerate is nearly finished constructing a test tower for these elevator prototypes, called Multi, in the company’s homeland of Germany.
The location of Rottweil, in the Black Forest, was selected because of its proximity to the “roughly ten thousand engineering students” enrolled in universities in Stuttgart and Konstanz, and the Swiss cities of St. Gallen, Zürich, and Winterthur.
The building is 761 feet high made out of concrete. It has 12 elevator shafts, three of which will be used to test the Multi elevators.
“Cutting the cord will allow architects to build taller buildings, as well as elevators that can travel sideways as well as vertically,” Popsci reports.
According to Gizmodo, the facility will also be used to test super fast elevators that travel up to 60 feet per second.
The tower is designed by German architect Helmut Jahn. Construction was done using a technique called slipforming, where workers continuously pour concrete into formwork at a fast pace.
The tower will eventually be cloaked “in a twisting, lightweight white façade,” Gizmodo reports.
Related Stories
Reconstruction & Renovation | May 4, 2022
AIA course: Concrete buildings — Effective solutions for restoration and major repairs
The history of concrete construction between 1950 and 1970 offers architects and construction professionals a framework for how to rehabilitate these buildings today using both time-tested and emerging technologies. This course, worth 1.0 AIA LU, was authored by Henry Moss, AIA, LEED AP, Principal with Bruner/Cott Architects.
Concrete Technology | Apr 19, 2022
SGH’s Applied Science & Research Center achieves ISO 17025 accreditation for concrete testing procedures
Simpson Gumpertz & Heger’s (SGH) Applied Science & Research Center recently received ISO/IEC17025 accreditation from the American Association for Laboratory Accreditation (A2LA) for several concrete testing methods.
AEC Tech Innovation | Mar 9, 2022
Meet Emerge: WSP USA's new AEC tech incubator
Pooja Jain, WSP’s VP-Strategic Innovation, discusses the pilot programs her firm’s new incubator, Emerge, has initiated with four tech startup companies. Jain speaks with BD+C's John Caulfield about the four AEC tech firms to join Cohort 1 of the firm’s incubator.
Codes and Standards | Feb 28, 2022
Low-cost concrete alternative absorbs CO2
Researchers at Worcester Polytechnic Institute have developed a new CO2-absorbing material that’s a low-cost alternative to concrete.
Products and Materials | Feb 24, 2022
MAXXON® Corporation announces strategic affiliation with S3 Surface Solutions
Maxxon® Corporation, creator of Gyp-Crete® and a leader in the underlayment industry for 50 years, has aligned with S3 Surface Solutions, an innovative manufacturer of products that address problematic concrete slabs, to bring innovative, technology-driven subfloor preparation solutions to the flooring industry.
Sponsored | Reconstruction & Renovation | Jan 25, 2022
Concrete buildings: Effective solutions for restorations and major repairs
Architectural concrete as we know it today was invented in the 19th century. It reached new heights in the U.S. after World War II when mid-century modernism was in vogue, following in the footsteps of a European aesthetic that expressed structure and permanent surfaces through this exposed material. Concrete was treated as a monolithic miracle, waterproof and structurally and visually versatile.
Sponsored | Resiliency | Jan 24, 2022
Blast Hazard Mitigation: Building Openings for Greater Safety and Security
3D Printing | Jan 12, 2022
Using 3D-printed molds to create unitized window forms
COOKFOX designer Pam Campbell and Gate Precast's Mo Wright discuss the use of 3D-printed molds from Oak Ridge National Lab to create unitized window panels for One South First, a residential-commercial high-rise in Brooklyn, N.Y.
Concrete | May 18, 2021
GCP Applied Technologies Partners with Athena Sustainable Materials Institute
GCP Applied Technologies, a leading global provider of construction products technologies, is pleased to announce a partnership with Athena Sustainable Materials Institute, a nonprofit research collaborative bringing life cycle assessment to the construction sector.
Steel Buildings | Apr 17, 2021
Speed Core wall system is used for the second time in office building in San Jose
The construction method is expected to knock off three months from the project’s schedule.