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The Leadenhall Building is the latest iconic addition to the London skyline. Designed by Graham Stirk of world-
acclaimed architects, Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners, the 45-story skyscraper is the tallest building in the Square
Mile financial district, with 57,000 square meters of office space providing spectacular views across the Thames
River and beyond.
No less breathtaking is the unusual tapering skyscraper fondly
nicknamed The Cheesegrater. Incorporating enough glass
to cover nine football fields, the structure is livened up by an
array of 22 fully glazed scenic elevators that are highly visible
behind the building’s glass encasing. They are the fastest
panoramic elevators in the world, taking only 30 seconds
to whisk passengers from ground level to the top floor.
Bold reinvention of design
A masterpiece in the making since 2011, this was one of the
most challenging and rewarding projects for KONE.
The successful design and technical integration of the
elevators was central to the architecture, affirms architect
Maurice Brennan
from Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners.
“We had a close working relationship with KONE. From the
beginning, every component was under the radar. The visual
design, technical solutions and strategy for delivery were
developed in parallel. Any other methodology would not
have achieved the unique world-class installation we see in
the building today.”
Vertical evolution
“Every component is a one-off designed according to precise
specifications,” confirms KONE Senior Design Specialist
Duncan Mackie
.
The color accents of the minimalistic elevators match
the signature elements of the architecture. Wrapped
around the glazed car is an eye-catching sling in striking
orange for passengers and bright green for goods, with
integrated balustrades making the car appear taller.
The secret to the clean look is the absence of trunking
and electrification in the shaft. All wiring is subtly
concealed in floor zones and interfaces adjacent to
the elevator well.
“This is a world first,” reveals KONE Senior Project Manager
Dean Ashby
. “The pedestrian traffic below can look up and
see nothing but a perfectly empty shaft. It looks simple, but
was massively complicated to achieve.”
Another world first is the special auto-transfer software
integrated in the KONE Polaris™ Destination Control System.
“A passenger can transfer between the low-, mid- and high-
rise elevator zones at the push of a single button. The elevator
automatically allocates the designated car,” explains Mackie.
Inside-out masterpiece
The skyscraper has no real ground floor, but sits on stilts
above a grassy public concourse. KONE escalators provide
seamless transition into the reception area, and everyone
who enters can see the internal components of the escalators
moving and ticking.
The Leadenhall Building is truly a showpiece, as both the
escalators and elevators are 100 percent visible from outside.
“They are the front door of the building,” says Brennan, who
praises KONE’s willingness to get the fine details millimeter-
perfect.
© The Leadenhall Building
© The Leadenhall Building