The first commercial passenger elevator was installed by the Otis Elevator Company in 1857 in New York City. It climbed at a then-staggering rate of 40 feet per minute.
Today, an Otis elevator in the Burj Khalifa tower in Dubai soars up at a speed of 22 mph. And it didn't even top a new ranking of the fastest elevators in the world from Emporis, a database of construction projects.
The list is dominated by elevators located in Asia, including China, Taiwan, and Japan.
#5 Jin Mao Tower — Shanghai, China
Speed: 1,791 feet/min, 20 mph
Height: 1,381 feet
Time From Ground To Roof*: 46 seconds
Elevator Supplier: Mitsubishi
Fun Fact: The Jin Mao Tower has a total of 130 operating elevators, which includes the two express elevators in the basement.
Source: Emporis
*If traveling at full velocity
#4 John Hancock Center — Chicago, USA
Speed: 1,801 feet/min, 20.5 mph
Height: 1,129 feet
Time From Ground To Roof*: 38 seconds
Elevator Supplier: Otis
Fun Fact: Instead of taking the elevator, visitors can also take the stairway from the main lobby to
the "Observatory." It has a total of 1,632 steps.
Source: Emporis
*If traveling at full velocity
#3 (tie) China World Trade Center Tower III — Beijing, China
Speed: 1,968.5 feet/min, 22 mph
Height: 1,083 feet
Time From Ground To Roof*: 33 seconds
Elevator Supplier: Schindler
Fun Fact: These elevators reach their full velocity of 22 mph in eleven seconds.
Source: Emporis
*If traveling at full velocity
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