Just as well-planned roads in a city boost residents’ mobility and improve trade and commerce leading to its growth, a well-designed vertical transport system in a building, including its elevators and escalators, is its lifeline, according to Bharat Vishnani, Sr. MD & Country Head, Lerch Bates.Apart from their obvious function, P S Sudheer, Principal Consultant, AEC Asia Inc, points out that elevators and escalators have transformed into vital elements of a building’s personality and design. “By combining smart placement, thoughtful, creative design and cutting-edge technology, today’s elevators and escalators don’t just move people but transform spaces and enhance the way buildings are experienced,” he says.Perfect positioningThe way elevators and escalators are positioned in a building can make a huge difference in how it is experienced. For instance, “central elevator banks in high-rises help everyone get where they need to go quickly and efficiently,” points out Sudheer. “On the other hand, placing them along the edges — as you’ll often see in malls or airports — creates more open spaces in the middle, making the building feel bigger and helping people move around smoothly. In skyscrapers, express elevators are a gamechanger, skipping the lower floors entirely, whisking people straight to sky lobbies, thus saving time and reducing crowding.”Where the elevators are entered from a lobby, “a well-planned spatial elevator lobby, especially on the main floor, the proper placement of signal and operating fixtures, the cabin enclosure size, height, look and feel, and the door size greatly enhance the user experience,” says Vishnani. “For a residential skyscraper that goes beyond 280 m, we have designed main elevators that are approached through spatial lobbies with wide and tall entrances. Technically, we have ensured that residents onboard these with minimal waiting time are efficiently and speedily transported to their floors in spacious cabins about 9 ft tall, and experience supreme riding comfort without the air turbulence that is normally experienced in high-speed equipment due to the piston effect.”Each of the four G+30-storey tower blocks of County 107, a high-end luxury housing project in Sector 107, Noida, exemplifies this concept, by featuring triple-height elevator lobbies that open onto the expansive landscape at the ground level. “The spatial quality of the elevator lobbies lends a feeling of openness and liberation while traversing the space,” says Vishal Sharma, Founder Partner & Principal Architect, Confluence. “Ample natural light and thoughtfully designed circulation patterns allow the elevator lobbies — the space where the visitor first interacts with the built form — to make for a lasting first impression.”Well-positioned escalators, unlike elevators, have the unique ability to enhance users’ experience as well as further the functional purpose of a building while in use. For instance, Vishnani points out that escalators play a key role in the mass transfer of shoppers in any (large format) retail segment. “Escalators not only bring the upper floors to street level by providing seamless transportation but can also be used to enhance shoppers' experience by their proper placements within the floors to deliver maximum coverage of shop frontage to onboarded shoppers.”“In a speciality hospital where the lower floors house the outpatient department, consulting and diagnostic rooms, a pair of escalators coupled with a few elevators placed strategically cater to the heavy footfalls usually seen in the first half of the day,” he continues.Structural impactElevators are traditionally placed in the core of the building with the staircase in a shear wall (column), which are together considered the spine of a building, explains Sailesh Mahimtura, Chairman & Managing Director, Mahimtura Consultants. “This spine is what resists lateral forces such as wind and earthquakes. You need stiffness in the core to resist these forces.”Typically, in tall buildings, elevators play a key role in defining the size of this building core, says Abhijeet M Kulkarni, Director, Structures, Buro Happold. In high-rise commercial complexes, where the office floors usually get split into zones to minimise the core requirement and optimise elevator speed without compromising on the required deliverables, Vishnani says not only is the overall capital cost of the vertical transportation system lowered but the shaft space on floors above the low zone is also yielded, thereby delivering a commercial benefit to the owner.Several other elements of elevator design affect the structural design. Among these, Kulkarni lists the number of lift shafts, shaft dimensions, shaft partitions, elevator door opening sizes, weight of the cables and car, single-entry or multiple-entry cars, support rail locations and their fixing, opening in wall to avoid piston effects, elevator pit depth, machine room sizes and lift overruns, building movements under wind loads, etc.Opting for newer elevator technologies can help save the space needed for vertical transportation by optimising lift shaft numbers while it can also impose certain restrictions on the structural design. For instance, as Kulkarni points out, “We opted for double-decker elevators for a project to improve the lifting capacity and thus optimise lift shaft numbers and waiting time.”“Twin-elevator technology, two elevator cabs in a single shaft impose more stringent movement limitations on the structure while also requiring crash decks/slabs,” he continues. “It requires increased coordination for the overrun and pit depths.”Further, the opening sizes and location of the lift doors at the interchange levels would have to be mutually decided by all stakeholders, he says. “Piston effects are more critical for such shafts; essentially, the air balancing and openings in the shaft walls must be carefully planned.” Scenic liftsSometimes, the architect comes up with the idea of making the most of a view and therefore decides to place the elevators such that users can enjoy these views while travelling up and down, observes Mahimtura. Outdoor integration has its beauty, notes Sudheer. “Glass elevators on the outside of buildings offer breathtaking views while doubling as architectural showpieces. Outdoor escalators connect communities separated by challenging terrain.”In such situations, Mahimtura explains, the traditional core is eliminated and, in its place, other elements are introduced in the structure. “One way is to treat the core like three I-beam sections in concrete and, sometimes, we replace the same with channel sections in concrete at two ends and one I in the centre of the lift core. Typically, such alternative treatments of the core are possible only in buildings of up to 30 to 40 floors. You avoid such variations in taller buildings.”Structural engineering in such installations must take into consideration the eccentric nature of the lift installation and its support, framing support to the glass enclosure, and the absence of a concrete enclosure around the shaft as this reduces the structural stiffness of the building, says Kulkarni. “Also, the secondary steelwork supporting the external façade glazing must be protected against corrosion.”Scenic lifts have mostly been used in hospitality projects and a handful in commercial buildings and malls, usually in parts of the building overlooking the central atriums, he continues. “Some such tall hotel building examples are the Burj Al Arab and Emirates Towers in Dubai, and Godrej One Vikhroli, R City Mall, Oberoi Mall and the Ashford Centre in Mumbai.” In Ashford Centre, a commercial structure in Lower Parel, Mumbai, “the elevator that is visible from the road has a circular shape and we gave it a glass protection,” says Mahimtura, the structural consultant. “In other instances, say in a mall, you might not need a protective glass layer.”Material paletteGiven the heavy human traffic elevators endure, the materials need to withstand wear and tear while maintaining a polished appearance, according to Khozema Chitalwala, Principal Architect, Designers Group. At the Fairfield by Mariott Mumbai, he used lightweight yet robust materials like aluminium panels and steel, finishes that not only ensured durability but contributed to a sophisticated look that complemented the overall hotel design.“Glass elevators fit perfectly with modern aesthetics,” says Sudheer. “Picture a glass elevator gliding up through a multi-storied atrium, connecting people while giving them a full view of the space.”In contrast, ornate wood-panelled elevators can add a touch of elegance to historic or classic settings, while green walls and recycled materials in elevator cabins add an eco-friendly touch that also looks fantastic,” he continues. “Maximising natural light through glass shafts and open designs is another great way to save energy while making spaces feel warm and welcoming.”Escalators, too, have become a canvas for creativity, according to Sudheer. “LED lights along the sides can create a luxurious vibe and some public spaces even use artistic designs on escalator panels to make them stand out. An escalator in a striking spiral or crisscross design could become a centrepiece in an atrium, bringing it to life.”Theme-based designs are another way to elevate the elevator experience, he continues. “In hotels, elevators might feature materials like marble or polished brass to match the interior design. In theme parks, they’re often hidden in plain sight, cleverly integrated into the overall environment so they feel like part of the story.”“When designing the Fairfield by Marriott Mumbai, we paid special attention to the elevators, viewing them as not merely functional but integral transitional spaces within the property,” says Chitalwala. “Both the interiors and the doors were designed to seamlessly match the ambience of the public areas. This created a cohesive experience as guests transitioned from the lobby into the elevators.”Even on the guest room floors, the elevator lobbies were treated as significant spaces where guests might spend time waiting, and hence designed to enhance the guest experience, with custom treatments applied to the elevator doors, he adds. “For instance, steel panels were custom-made to give a unique and luxurious look.”In a sense, technology has become an integral part of an elevator’s material palette.Smart elevators with touchless controls and systems know where you’re headed before you even step inside, making the ride smoother and faster, says Sudheer. “Features like digital displays and customisable lighting make the interiors feel modern and inviting.”Smart escalators, in turn, feature motion sensors and energy-saving features to help them operate more efficiently, while LED displays and even holographic projections turn them into visual attractions. Sudheer says it’s all about combining function with a bit of a wow factor.Future developmentsMulti by TK Elevators is a rope-free elevator that uses linear motor technology to move multiple cars in a single shaft both vertically and horizontally. According to V Jagadish Kumar, Director & Principal Consultant, L’Avenir Elevator Consultants, “Such futuristic technologies could find a place in complex and tall buildings such as terminals with a high number of users.” While Multi is yet to see widespread adoption in India and globally, he says, “It is important to talk about futuristic technologies that could become reality very soon.”In fact, products like Multi both simplify and exemplify the concept of seamlessly integrating vertical transportation with horizontal transportation, a concept that is being talked about in New Delhi’s Central Vista development/redevelopment project, continues Kumar, consultant for the 10 passenger, four VIP, two Speaker and two kitchen elevators installed in the new Parliament building.“An underground ‘automated people mover’ of approximately 3.1 km length is envisaged to be constructed to connect and integrate all the buildings of the Common Central Secretariat,” explains Kumar. “This will run in a close loop to satisfy the transportation requirement of government employees working in those buildings while also providing connectivity to the existing metro network at Udyog Bhawan and Central Secretariat stations.”According to him, “Ideally, this automated people mover and other surface modes of horizontal transportation should be in closest proximity to the lift cores of all the buildings of the Central Vista to ensure seamless transportation, while within buildings, the elevators should ideally be located at the core of the building, to be easily accessible from all horizontal directions.”Seamless integration is sure to take people's movement to the next level!Quotes: 1. Escalators can deliver maximum coverage of shop frontage to onboarded shoppers. - Bharat Vishnani, Sr. MD & Country Head, Lerch Bates2. Today’s elevators and escalators transform spaces and enhance the way buildings are experienced. - PS Sudheer, Principal Consultant, AEC Asia Inc.3. Elevator lobbies are spaces where the visitor first interacts with the built form. - Vishal Sharma, Founder Partner & Principal Architect, Confluence4. The seamless integration of vertical transportation with horizontal transportation is being talked about in the Central Vista project. - V Jagadish Kumar, Director & Principal Consultant, L’Avenir Elevator Consultants5. For scenic lifts, the traditional core is eliminated and, in its place, other elements are introduced into the structure. - Sailesh Mahimtura, Chairman & Managing Director, Mahimtura Consultants6. Opting for newer elevator technologies can help save the space needed for vertical transportation. - Abhijeet M Kulkarni, Director, Structures, Buro Happold7. Elevator materials need to withstand wear and tear while maintaining a polished appearance. - Khozema Chitalwala, Principal Architect, Designers GroupQuick bytes:Elevator design and placement affect structural stability, space use and costs.Elevators and escalators combine durability with design, using materials like aluminium, steel and glass.Smart technologies improve efficiency and user experience.Seamless integration of vertical and horizontal transportation enhances connectivity and efficiency.