Madras Lighthouse

Description

Overlooking the Bay of Bengal on the world’s second-longest beach stands a triangular edifice painted with large red and white stripes in typical lighthouse fashion. After being closed for 22 years, the legendary Madras Lighthouse on Chennai’s popular Marina Beach was reopened to the public at the end of 2013 following a facelift and technical overhaul. Built in 1976, the iconic landmark is one of the few lighthouses in the world – and the only one in India – to be equipped with an electric elevator. Closed for security reasons for over two decades, the Madras Lighthouse has now been restored to its original glory. It houses the Indian meteorological department and a newly opened tourist attraction, a Lighthouse Museum established through a public-private partnership. KONE equipped the 46-meter tall lighthouse with a new elevator complete with emergency rescue equipment, intercom and a floor announcement system. The KONE MiniSpace™ elevator features a durable stainless steel car and a KONE EcoDisc® hoisting motor with regenerative drive features, making it approximately 50 percent more energy-efficient than the old unit it replaced. Huge crowds lined up to see the much-anticipated opening of the lighthouse. For many visitors, it was their first opportunity to admire the Bay of Bengal from such a spectacular height. “We were excited to see a long queue of visitors waiting to take the elevator to the viewing gallery on inauguration day. Over 10,000 people used our elevator in the first four days,” says K. Srinivasan, KONE Modernization Senior Manager.

• #Asia
• #Elevators
• #Escalators & Autowalks
• #Maintenance
• #Modernization
• #New equipment
• #Special buildings