Without Elevators, South Florida Would Look Very Different
Elevators drive massive commercial real estate growth and commerce in major metropolitan areas around the world
Some of us may have briefly imagined (or remembered) a life without automobiles or the Internet, but elevators are likely not something that you often think of being without. They are simply there, and it’s usually a given that they will efficiently take us from point A to point B. Nevertheless, this form of transportation has revolutionized and continues to change the way we build communities. The elevators in South Florida and cities worldwide are a vital piece of infrastructure that keeps businesses running while making vastly more efficient forms of construction possible.
When were elevators actually invented?
Elevators, or lifts as they are/were also commonly referred to, have been in existence for quite some time – and the earliest examples possibly date back to more than 2,000 years ago. But they were not widely accepted as safe until Elisha Graves Otis demonstrated an elevator safety brake to wowed crowds at the New York World’s Fair in 1854. This unique showing of Otis’ invention immediately catapulted his company, Union Elevator, later renamed Otis Brothers and Company, to success.
Elevators were originally steam-powered, with the first going into service in 1857 in the E V Haughwout Building on Broadway in New York. This first modern passenger elevator carried occupants up and down a modest five-stories.
Elevators spurred the rise of tall buildings and ultimately skyscrapers
Once elevators were largely viewed as safe and became mainstream, buildings were quickly designed around them. Structures began to grow in height, massively influencing the skyline, economy, and population density of every city in the developed world.
Without elevators and their continuing technological and safety advancements, cities would not have been able to build these tall buildings, which would have created the need for much more construction, raw land, and ultimately urban sprawl. Imagine the limitations – economic and otherwise – of downtown New York or Miami if the highest building only stood a few stories.
Buildings continue to grow taller and taller, largely due to the reliability of commercial elevators
Currently, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai is the tallest building in the world at 163 floors. It was built in 2010, and shows just how vital elevators have become in these massive structures. Willis Tower, formerly known as the Sears Tower, was the tallest building in the world for many years, until a rash of skyscraper construction in the United Arab Emirates, China, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, and Taiwan that began in the late 1990s. While elevators are still a convenience in some buildings, they’re simply a necessity in these massive skyscrapers.
As you can imagine, these towering structures not only require elevators – they require extremely fast ones that can go from the ground floor to the penthouse in record time. The Burj Khalifa in UAE, for instance, has the third-fastest elevator in the world, traveling at a speed of 36 km/h or 600 m/min.
Rely on Connections Elevator for all your elevator maintenance and repairs
Whether your building is a skyscraper with record-setting elevators or a more modest multi-story condo, your elevators need to work consistently and safely. At Connections Elevator, we are South Florida’s elevator experts, with decades of experience servicing and installing elevators across the region. If you have any questions about elevator maintenance or if you are looking for a service provider, reach out to our team at 954-792-1234 or fill out our contact form and we’ll follow up as soon as possible.