One Taikoo Place, on the eastern side of Hong Kong Island, commands magnificent views of the Victoria harbor. The 48-story office tower, with expansive glass walls, is also easy on the eye.
Completed in 2018, One Taikoo Place is more than a looker. It has been the jewel in the redevelopment of the Quarry Bay district of Hong Kong, formerly an industrial and residential district without much going for it. These days, the area, which has all the trappings of a mixed-use precinct, is abuzz with activity. Office towers, residential buildings, restaurants, bars, and retail shops all compete for space.
If the building is at the vanguard of innovation and sustainability – becoming the city’s first commercial building to receive a triple Platinum certification from LEED for its sustainable design and performance – its construction was also a textbook example of how technology can help to improve safety on construction sites. Enter Schindler CLIMB Lift.
“In the early stages of construction, one of the recommendations from the construction firm was the use of self-climbing elevators,” says Derek Chan, Schindler’s Field Operations Head & Service Director
As the importance of safety continues to grow across the industry, with many companies rolling out ‘zero-accident’ programs, demand for equipment that helps to advance safety on construction sites is on the increase.
Amid this heightened focus on safety, self-climbing elevators like Schindler CLIMB Lift have proved a hit with construction companies and developers alike. Besides advancing safety, Schindler CLIMB Lift has other things going for it: it helps to considerably speed up the construction process, by maximizing efficiency on-site.
How exactly does the Schindler CLIMB Lift achieve that feat? “Schindler CLIMB Lift makes use of the core elevator shaft to house temporary elevators,” explains Derek.
“This means that our workers and materials can reach the different floors of the structure quicker. Changing over to permanent elevators as the build progresses is a straightforward process,” he says. Besides, Schindler CLIMB Lifts are faster than external hoists and typically have a larger loading capacity. “It’s all a question of safety and efficiency.”
For a building like One Taikoo Place, using self-climbing elevators was therefore an obvious choice. Used in complement to an external hoist, seven Schindler Climb Lifts were used in the construction of what is now a landmark office building in East Hong Kong.
There’s another reason why Schindler Climb Lift proved a perfect fit for this project: Hong Kong’s notorious unpredictable weather – and we’re not talking about a few summer showers. Hong Kong has a subtropical monsoon climate. It has seen in recent years, possibly on account of climate change, an increasing number of extreme weather events – think typhoons and lightning – making outdoor work increasingly dangerous.
While we’re doing what we can to advert the worst effects of climate change, in the meantime, our Schindler CLIMB Lift provides the perfect work-around – allowing on-site workers to continue their work in safety – rain or shine.