What Is The World’s Largest Passenger Lift?

In what may be a surprise, the world’s tallest passenger lifts are not actually found in the world’s tallest building.

Despite the many records and accolades the almighty Burj Khalifa holds, including the highest elevator installation and longest travel distance, the tallest lift in a building is in the Shanghai Tower, the fourth largest building in the world.

However, whilst this accomplishment is hotly contested amongst huge skyscrapers and tests the principles of lift construction to their very limits, there are other ways to be the world’s biggest lift as the impressive lift in the Jio World Centre in Mumbai, India demonstrates.

Weighing 16 tonnes and with a total size of 25.78 square metres, the passenger lift at the Jio World Centre can carry up to 235 people at a time across five floors of its convention centre and gardens at a speed of one metre per second (2.2mph).

This impressive feat is possible through the use of a pulley beam system that aids the 9 ropes and 18 pulleys to lift the panoramic glass lift up, with a four-panel glass door system to allow people to enter and exit quickly.

This design was planned with large wedding parties in mind but is also suited for large volumes of exhibition and conference guests, for whom a major issue has always been traversing conference centres with multiple floors due to a lack of capacity.

It also follows the luxury lift trend of making the floor travelling experience as much of an event as the events themselves, with a crystal-studded light in the ceiling, an elegant lotus theme and two large information screens with updates and building news as appropriate.

The issue with trying to break this record is that to do so will require extensive planning at the beginning of construction to ensure the extensive lift systems are factored into the building’s design from the very start.