MULTI – New Era of Mobility in Buildings

ThyssenKrupp unveils world’s first cable-free, horizontal-vertical elevator. The elevator was invented over 160 years ago, and engineering firm ThyssenKrupp evidently thinks it’s time to shake things up a bit. They’ve designed the MULTI: a rope-less horizontal-vertical system that’s drawn comparisons to Willy Wonka’s crazy sideways-moving elevator. And now they’ve brought their designs from paper into the real world at an 807-foot-high test tower in Rottweil, Germany.

ThyssenKrupp’s technology allows multiple elevator cabins to run in a loop – “like a metro system inside a building.” And no cables or ropes are necessary; the cars move due to a magnet-based drive system as might be found in Maglev trains.

The MULTI system has numerous benefits over the traditional elevator. ThyssenKrupp said their system has no height limitations, and as it can move sideways and vertically it opens up new architectural possibilities. 

This is crucial because as more people move to the world’s cities, the design of high-rise buildings will make an impact on a city’s carbon emissions. Add to that a reduced carbon footprint – the system uses as much as 60 percent less peak energy than traditional elevators.

Materials provided by ThyssenKrupp

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