Call it the Elevator Index. If you want to know where the world's hottest economies are, skip the GDP reports, employment statistics and consumer spending trends. All you need to do is answer one question: Where are the fastest elevators?
It isn't a perfect measure, but where the economies zoom, tall buildings go up. And keeping those buildings economically feasible means outfitting them with fast elevators. Getting work done efficiently doesn't happen when employees are shuttled up and down 60 or so stories at a snail's pace. What company wants its workers on an hour-long cigarette break?
Six of the world's 10 fastest elevators are located in the booming economic hubs of Asia and the Middle East, with all but one of them built since 1993. Most are part of the latest generation of skyscrapers, designed to move busy people in a hurry.
As places like Shanghai and the United Arab Emirates move up in the world with increasing speed, their people do the same--in the latest state of the art elevators that rise at a pace of about a floor per second. Modern pressure control systems ensure passengers arrive with minimal stomach churning or ear popping.
The world's two fastest elevators, located in the Taipei 101 building in Taiwan, carry people from the ground to the top (101st floor) in 39 seconds, at an ear-popping 1,010 meters per minute, a speed one third faster than the previous record, according to engineer Roland Piquepaille. Not only are the cars fitted with pressure control systems, they're streamlined to cut down on whistling noise and vibration.
We've come a long way since Elisha Otis, father of the modern Otis Elevator company, put up his first car at 488 Broadway in New York in 1853. Otis is largely credited with developing the modern elevator when he introduced the brake governor, a shaft of spring-loaded weights to slow acceleration and guard against the risk of severed cables.
Some old New York buildings still hold their own when it comes to moving tenants and visitors up and down briskly. The bank of elevators at New York's Empire State Building, built in 1932, checks in as the world's ninth fastest. Certainly, a tourist heavy building, one that already has visitors waiting two hours in line to reach the observation deck on a typical day, needs to keep its 73 elevators up to date.
New York's older Woolworth building was an early pioneer of fast elevators--its cars traveled 213 meters per minute back in 1913, as quick as many buildings today.
But it's the tallest new buildings that move people the fastest now. And most of them are going up in Asia--14 of the world's 20 tallest buildings today are in China, Malaysia or the Middle East, and none of them are more that 17 years old.
Emaar Properties, builders of the soon to be completed Burj Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, which stands to be the world's tallest building upon its scheduled completion in 2008, forked over $36 million to United Technologies' (nyse: UTX - news - people ) Otis Elevator to supply its 58 elevators. The fleet includes two double-decker cars that can each carry up to 46 people to the building's observation deck at 20 miles per hour.
"Dubai is experiencing unprecedented growth, and is fast becoming one of the most vibrant metropolises in the world. Otis is proud to be a participant," said Otis Elevator president Ari Bousbibi, upon winning the project bid.
Taipei 101, Taiwan
Elevator speed: 1,010 meters per minute
Building height: 509.2 meters (1,671 feet)
The world's tallest building (soon to be overtaken by the Burj Dubai), the Taipei 101 has two express elevators that together hold the all-time record for speed. Time to the 87th floor observation deck: 37 seconds.
Yokohama Landmark Tower, Yokohama, Japan
Elevator speed: 750 meters per minute
Building height: 296 meters (972 feet)
Japan's tallest building since its completion in 1993, the tower comes complete with offices, retail space, and a five star hotel. Its elevator travels at one floor per second
Burj Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Elevator speed: 600 meters per minute
Building height: 555.3 meters (1,822 feet)
Still under construction, the Burj will become the tallest freestanding structure in the world when it's completed in 2008. Its 155 floors make it one and a half times the height of New York City's Empire State Building. The estimated price tag is for completion is $4.1 billion.
Sunshine 60, Tokyo
Elevator speed: 600 meters per minute
Building height: 240 meters (797 feet)
Built in 1978, Sunshine 60 held the title of East Asia's tallest building for seven years. Now it's only the eight tallest in Japan.
John Hancock Building, Chicago
Elevator speed: 549 meters per minute
Building height: 344 meters (1,127 feet)
Lots of tourists whisk up to the 94th floor observation deck. The 38-year-old tower is now only the third highest in Chicago, but its elevators outrun those in the taller Sears Tower and Aon Center.
Stratosphere Tower, Las Vegas
Elevator speed: 549 meters per minute
Building height: 350 meters (1,149 feet)
The tallest freestanding observation tower in the U.S., the Stratosphere's elevators get tourists from the ground to the top in 30 seconds.
Freshwater Place, Melbourne, Australia
Elevator speed: 540 meters per minute
Building height: 205 meters (670 feet)
A newly built urban village with residential apartments and retail shops. Three-bedroom units start at $1.3 million.
8 Jin Mao Tower Place, Shanghai, China
Elevator speed: 540 meters per minute
Building height: 421 meters (1,380 feet)
Completed two years ago, this 88-story marvel contains offices and a Hyatt hotel. The basement has a food court and parking for 600 cars.
Empire State Building, New York
Elevator speed: 426 meters per minute
Building height: 381 meters (1,250 feet)
An old classic that keeps its elevators up to date--that's necessary when you've got to get 3 million or so visitors a year to the 86th floor observation deck
Petronas Towers, Malaysia
Elevator speed: 420 meters per minute
Building height: 452 meters (1,482 feet)
The tallest buildings in the world prior to the completion of the Taipei 101 in 2003, the Petronus Towers feature double-decker elevators that drop people at consecutive odd and even floors simultaneously. Evacuations are made easier by a design that lets cars open into each other from the side, allowing people to get off one car and onto another before heading down.
It isn't a perfect measure, but where the economies zoom, tall buildings go up. And keeping those buildings economically feasible means outfitting them with fast elevators. Getting work done efficiently doesn't happen when employees are shuttled up and down 60 or so stories at a snail's pace. What company wants its workers on an hour-long cigarette break?
Six of the world's 10 fastest elevators are located in the booming economic hubs of Asia and the Middle East, with all but one of them built since 1993. Most are part of the latest generation of skyscrapers, designed to move busy people in a hurry.
As places like Shanghai and the United Arab Emirates move up in the world with increasing speed, their people do the same--in the latest state of the art elevators that rise at a pace of about a floor per second. Modern pressure control systems ensure passengers arrive with minimal stomach churning or ear popping.
The world's two fastest elevators, located in the Taipei 101 building in Taiwan, carry people from the ground to the top (101st floor) in 39 seconds, at an ear-popping 1,010 meters per minute, a speed one third faster than the previous record, according to engineer Roland Piquepaille. Not only are the cars fitted with pressure control systems, they're streamlined to cut down on whistling noise and vibration.
We've come a long way since Elisha Otis, father of the modern Otis Elevator company, put up his first car at 488 Broadway in New York in 1853. Otis is largely credited with developing the modern elevator when he introduced the brake governor, a shaft of spring-loaded weights to slow acceleration and guard against the risk of severed cables.
Some old New York buildings still hold their own when it comes to moving tenants and visitors up and down briskly. The bank of elevators at New York's Empire State Building, built in 1932, checks in as the world's ninth fastest. Certainly, a tourist heavy building, one that already has visitors waiting two hours in line to reach the observation deck on a typical day, needs to keep its 73 elevators up to date.
New York's older Woolworth building was an early pioneer of fast elevators--its cars traveled 213 meters per minute back in 1913, as quick as many buildings today.
But it's the tallest new buildings that move people the fastest now. And most of them are going up in Asia--14 of the world's 20 tallest buildings today are in China, Malaysia or the Middle East, and none of them are more that 17 years old.
Emaar Properties, builders of the soon to be completed Burj Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, which stands to be the world's tallest building upon its scheduled completion in 2008, forked over $36 million to United Technologies' (nyse: UTX - news - people ) Otis Elevator to supply its 58 elevators. The fleet includes two double-decker cars that can each carry up to 46 people to the building's observation deck at 20 miles per hour.
"Dubai is experiencing unprecedented growth, and is fast becoming one of the most vibrant metropolises in the world. Otis is proud to be a participant," said Otis Elevator president Ari Bousbibi, upon winning the project bid.
Taipei 101, Taiwan
Elevator speed: 1,010 meters per minute
Building height: 509.2 meters (1,671 feet)
The world's tallest building (soon to be overtaken by the Burj Dubai), the Taipei 101 has two express elevators that together hold the all-time record for speed. Time to the 87th floor observation deck: 37 seconds.
Yokohama Landmark Tower, Yokohama, Japan
Elevator speed: 750 meters per minute
Building height: 296 meters (972 feet)
Japan's tallest building since its completion in 1993, the tower comes complete with offices, retail space, and a five star hotel. Its elevator travels at one floor per second
Burj Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Elevator speed: 600 meters per minute
Building height: 555.3 meters (1,822 feet)
Still under construction, the Burj will become the tallest freestanding structure in the world when it's completed in 2008. Its 155 floors make it one and a half times the height of New York City's Empire State Building. The estimated price tag is for completion is $4.1 billion.
Sunshine 60, Tokyo
Elevator speed: 600 meters per minute
Building height: 240 meters (797 feet)
Built in 1978, Sunshine 60 held the title of East Asia's tallest building for seven years. Now it's only the eight tallest in Japan.
John Hancock Building, Chicago
Elevator speed: 549 meters per minute
Building height: 344 meters (1,127 feet)
Lots of tourists whisk up to the 94th floor observation deck. The 38-year-old tower is now only the third highest in Chicago, but its elevators outrun those in the taller Sears Tower and Aon Center.
Stratosphere Tower, Las Vegas
Elevator speed: 549 meters per minute
Building height: 350 meters (1,149 feet)
The tallest freestanding observation tower in the U.S., the Stratosphere's elevators get tourists from the ground to the top in 30 seconds.
Freshwater Place, Melbourne, Australia
Elevator speed: 540 meters per minute
Building height: 205 meters (670 feet)
A newly built urban village with residential apartments and retail shops. Three-bedroom units start at $1.3 million.
8 Jin Mao Tower Place, Shanghai, China
Elevator speed: 540 meters per minute
Building height: 421 meters (1,380 feet)
Completed two years ago, this 88-story marvel contains offices and a Hyatt hotel. The basement has a food court and parking for 600 cars.
Empire State Building, New York
Elevator speed: 426 meters per minute
Building height: 381 meters (1,250 feet)
An old classic that keeps its elevators up to date--that's necessary when you've got to get 3 million or so visitors a year to the 86th floor observation deck
Petronas Towers, Malaysia
Elevator speed: 420 meters per minute
Building height: 452 meters (1,482 feet)
The tallest buildings in the world prior to the completion of the Taipei 101 in 2003, the Petronus Towers feature double-decker elevators that drop people at consecutive odd and even floors simultaneously. Evacuations are made easier by a design that lets cars open into each other from the side, allowing people to get off one car and onto another before heading down.
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