more money. Glass elevators are usually used as striking architectural features. In addition, they allow the customer in a department store to feel regal as he or she floats majestically above the busy scene below – while still spotting the odd item for purchase. The same transparency in railway stations and at airports serves mostly safety purposes: for one, passengers are better protected from crime, and terrorists cannot use elevator cabins to hide bombs. Glass elevators offer another advantage: “Nobody will scribble on the walls out of boredom,” says Bernd Scherzinger. “Because he will feel observed.” A simple mirror, incidentally, fulfills the same psychological purpose. “Even if the perpetrator sees only himself, he feels observed and gives up the idea of destroying something.” After years of a barely noticed existence as a carrier of loads, elevators today are also popular architectural objects. What used to be a necessary evil that had to be hidden away is today often considered an architectural gem that must be fitted into artful construction. Some architects thus forgo the space-saving rectangular or square shape and choose a more extravagant round shape. These days, the transition from the reception hall to the elevator has to be as harmonious as possible – for example, through the choice of the same floor covering, such as marble or tiles. Or a less dominating standard surface is chosen. The elevator ceiling also usually captivates attention through its simple elegance. It is supposed to dispense light and air and otherwise be rather inconspicuous, but it should be worthwhile to look up: lighting ranges from classical lamps, halogen spots and a coffer ceiling to indirect lighting and laser-cut patterns in the ceiling sheets – all of which is also used to illuminate bigger rooms. Often, ventilators are hidden above the heads – a must, for example, in the humid, warm climate pre- Facelifting stirs emotions: in Stuttgart’s SI Center and in the Ana Grand Hotel in Vienna (photos far left) the elevator cabs look much older than they really are. In banks, in turn, modern elevators reflect sober professionalism. CAB DESIGN 41 vailing in much of Asia. Invariably, there are air boxes in the door area. “So nobody will suffocate even if the elevator gets stuck,” says Scherzinger, contradicting another frequently heard prejudice. The base boards and the hand rail are equally inconspicuous and practical. The wooden or stainless steel bars at hip height may be used for support, but they are intended above all to prevent trolleys and other such things from banging against the elevator sides. Wood looks more elegant here, but it is more sensitive than stainless steel. AESTHETICS REACH DOWN TO THE SMALLEST DETAIL Finally, the very visible core of any elevator is the so-called service panel, which determines where the journey is going. The most commonly used system these days is the push button, which established itself in the 1920s. At the time, it rendered the job of elevator operator superfluous because the “self-drivers” – i.e. the passengers – were able to handle the complicated technical process in the background quite easily by themselves. But the push button itself will soon come under pressure, since the next generation of elevators will be steered with so-called touch screens mounted in a central location outside the elevator entrance on every floor; passengers will simply touch a small screen that no longer has to be installed in the elevator. Such operating systems are now available, and seek out the most intelligent routes for the individual elevators. This saves energy, time and space in the building. Once more, this destination selection system becomes part of cab aesthetics, which, irrespective of the design and the material used, will continue to mirror a number of things but one above all: the culture of the country in which the elevator transports its passengers. 7
42 MASTER BUILDER