In 2014, the German engineering company Thyssenkrupp introduced a truly futuristic innovation: an elevator that uses no cables, just magnetic levitation to cycle not one but many cars through a building's shaft system. But their new design's most impressive feature was that unlike traditional elevators, the Multi, as Thyssenkrupp calls it, could move not only up and down, but side to side, bringing to mind the famous Glass Elevator from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory—albeit slightly less magical.
Two years later, UK architecture firm Weston Williamson is looking at the possibility of putting the Multi to use in one of the world's most complex urban architectural spaces: the London Underground. Thyssenkrupp is currently constructing one of the fantastical elevators in a building in Germany, which helped convince Weston Williamson director Chris Williamson this technology is more than a concept.
Using the same maglev technology that's been proposed for Elon Musk's Hyperloop, the Multi would dispense with cords altogether, using magnetic coils in the shaft walls to repel the magnetized elevator compartment up and down. Since the car wouldn't be attached to anything, moving sideways would be as easy as building a horizontal shaft.
Thyssenkrupp sells their elevator as a necessary adaptation for megacities of the future, where buildings will need to expand in more than one direction to fit a swelling population. But the Multi may also work well as a solution to public transportation accessibility. Anyone who's ridden London's tube knows the labyrinthine nature of its tunnels, stairs, escalators and elevators. Now imagine navigating the system as a person with a physical disability. Installing a Multi elevator would enable people with mobility issues to take the tube without worrying about hitting a malfunctioning escalator or unexpected stairs.
But Williamson says the technology would benefit everyone, moving more people through the system faster, easing crowding. In this Wonka-style reality, a Multi elevator car might transport you directly from your office down into the subway system. The shafts could support a large number of cars arriving every five to ten seconds, so though each car can only fit about six people, congestion shouldn't be a problem.
Thyssenkrupp is still constructing its first Multi. What happens with that prototype will determine the technology's future. If it works as well as the company expects, we could start seeing this system in public transport systems and large buildings around the world in a few years. Don't forget your golden ticket.