A spokesman for Taipei 101 on Wednesday was talking up the building’s super-fast lifts after the feature was listed in a CNN article as one of the world’s “12 elevators you need to see to believe.”
Spokesman Michael Liu (劉家豪) said that the building’s twin elevators — which carry guests from the fifth floor to the 89th in 37 seconds — are the Guinness world record holders for fastest elevator with a speed of 1,010m per minute (60kph).
They are also the steadiest, he said, adding that a NT$50 coin can balance on its side on the floor for the entire length of the ride.
The Toshiba elevators, which Liu likened to airplanes in that they compensate for changes in air pressure, have been fitted with tuned mass dampers, which reduce vibrations.
“We still do tests with NT$50 coins to illustrate how steady the elevators are,” he said.
The braking system is another unique feature, using the same advanced materials as the outer shell of a space shuttle to withstand the high temperatures created by stopping from such a high speed.
At 508m, Taipei 101 has the distinction of being the world’s tallest “green” building, he added.
CNN posted the list of 12 exceptional elevators on Monday, originally released by the blog Budget Travel last month.
“The tower’s lifts reach the 89th-floor observatory in just 37 seconds, leaving riders well over a thousand feet above the city,” writer Ryan Murphy said.
“From this viewpoint, every corner of the sprawling metropolis is tiny by sheer distance. Parks, temples, and even other skyscrapers and distant mountains are practically Lilliputian,” he wrote.
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