The Most Amazing Lifts in the World
Lifts can be essential if you live or work in a high rise building, but most people don’t give the usual dull grey boxes a second thought. However, there are some breathtaking lifts across the world that do a lot more than take people from A to B. From a rotating boat lift, to an elevator submerged within an aquarium, there are plenty of amazing lifts that are worth visiting in their own right. If you want to know more, see our roundup below of just some of the most incredible lifts across the globe.
Found inside the Radisson Blu Hotel in Berlin-Mitte, the AquaDom houses a transparent elevator right in the middle of an 82 foot tall aquarium. Visitors to the lift can enjoy 360 degree views of the aquarium’s 1500 fish, made up from 50 different species. The vast aquarium contains 260,000 gallons of seawater, and it takes almost 18 pounds of food every day to keep the fish fed.
This glass elevator is built into the side of a cliff in the city of Zhangjiajie, and claims to the tallest outdoor lift in the world with an impressive height of 1,070 metres. With a name meaning ‘Hundred Dragons’, the Bailong Elevator offers visitors stunning views of the area’s huge quartzite sandstone pillars.
One of the more unusually shaped lifts on this list, the Falkirk Wheel is a rotating boat lift that transports boats between the Union Canal and the Forth and Clyde Canal. The two canals have a difference in height of 24 metres, and the lift is powered by ten hydraulic motors which work to turn the wheel, while water filled tubs holding the boats turn in the opposite direction. One full turn takes around eight minutes, and the clever design ensures the boats stay level at all times.
Designed by Raul Mesnier de Ponsard, an apprentice of Eiffel Tower engineer Gustave Eiffel, this neo-gothic lift was originally powered by steam. Standing 426 feet tall, it still works today powered by electricity, and retains its original birdcage-style cars.
Found in Stockholm, the Ericsson Globe stands at 85 metres tall, with a diameter of 110 metres, making it the current largest hemispherical building in the world. Glass lifts on the exterior of the building take visitors on a 20 minute ride up and down the curved side of the globe, offering spectacular views across the city.
We can’t promise lifts as unusual as the ones above, but if you need professional and reliable lift services in Glasgow, Edinburgh or Aberdeen, get in touch with ADL Lift Services. We supply, install and maintain lifts in Scotland and throughout the UK, and offer a personalised lift service to suit you and your needs. For more information or to discuss your requirements, give us a call today or visit the website.