The developers behind Saudi’s under-construction Kingdom Tower in Jeddah have claimed it will include the world’s fastest and highest double-decker elevators when finished in 2018.
The Kingdom Tower, which is being built by Saudi Bin Laden Group, will be more than 1km tall upon completion, making it the tallest building in the world.
Jeddah Economic Company (JEC) said lift company Kone had been appointed to construct the lifts, which will have a travel speed of over 10 metres a second and the world’s highest elevator rise at 660 metres, Saudi Gazette reported.
Mounib Hammoud, CEO of JEC, said: “We are building the world’s tallest tower and have selected Kone high-speed elevators because they utilise technology that surpasses all industry limits and enables elevators to travel to heights that are twice the distance previously feasible.”
“In addition, Kone vertical transportation solutions provide unprecedented eco-efficiency, durability and reliability in high-rise vertical transportation – important factors to be considered in a world where urbanisation is bringing increasing numbers of people into cities.”
Kone President and CEO Matti Alahuhta said: “We are delighted that JEC has chosen Kone as its vertical transportation provider and are greatly excited about being involved in this tremendous project to build the world’s tallest tower.”
Dubai’s Burj Khalifa has the world’s third-fastest elevator in the world, according to data released last year by Emporis.
The company found that the fastest elevators in the world were in Taiwan’s Taipei 101, which were manufactured by Japanese corporation Toshiba.
A Mitsubishi lift in Japan’s Yokahama Landmark Tower was named as the second-fastest lift, while the Otis lifts in the UAE’s 828m-high Burj Khalifa shares third spot with three other buildings.
However, Burj Khalifa has the distinction of offering the world’s fastest double-decker elevators, with the double-decker passengers able to travel the longest distance currently possible in an elevator, exiting after a ride of 504 metres at the world’s highest stop – 638m up the Dubai building.
In April, the builders behind a skyscraper currently under construction in Guangzhou, China claimed it will house the world’s fastest elevators when it is completed in 2016.
Hitachi, the company building the elevators, told media that they would travel from Guangzhou CTF Finance Centre’s first floor to the 95th floor in about 43 seconds.
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