KONE References 2017: Urban Journeys

dedicated to connect the 1st with the 5th up to the 11th floor, while four elevators were dedicated to connect the 1st with the 12th up to the 24th floor. KONE’s Polaris Destination Control system was installed to analyze the number of waiting passengers and the desired destination, in order to provide the fastest and most efficient routes. For VIP service for special tenants, these elevators could also be made to travel to the basement parking areas, a unique service provided by KONE for the Westend Gate. In order to access the underground parking area, two elevators were extended two floors underground, an extremely difficult task which hasn’t been carried out often, but which KONE managed successfully. Additionally, a fireman’s elevator in the hotel was modernized. For deliveries, a MonoSpace 700 lift was put in to move goods quickly and discreetly. For its installation, a 54-meter-high shaft was added to the façade – an extremely challenging task that KONE carried out successfully nonetheless. KONE’s elevators were also equipped with advanced technology to conserve energy. While the old elevator drives, for example, had an estimated power consumption of 35 kw per hour, the new elevators clocked only 7.5 kw per hour – an impressive reduction by any account. Irati Artola , sustainability advocate and a consultant at Trinomics, says that while technology for energy efficiency in buildings is already available, it is the uptake of this technology that is often an issue. “This is related to a lack of awareness, knowledge and suitable implementation of these technologies as well as to the need for behavior change,’ she says. The successful implementation of new solutions will help create more awareness and act as a model for modernization of more buildings across Europe. It’s time to catch the wave. / Westend Gate – Germany 71