TK Elevator celebrates 20 years of its revolutionary TWIN elevator

This means that it is capable of transporting up to 40% more passengers while requiring 25% less of a building’s valuable floorspace than conventional mobility solutions.

• TK Elevator launched TWIN, a unique elevator system with two independently operating cabins in one shaft, in 2003
• TWIN safely transports more passengers while using less space, and with greater energy efficiency as compared with traditional double-deck elevators
• TWIN elevators now operate in landmark buildings across the globe, including 50 Hudson Yards in New York, Trinity Tower in Paris, the European Central Bank Headquarters in Frankfurt, and DJI Sky City in Shenzhen

At the time, TWIN opened new design concepts for architects and gave owners significant savings on the energy used in a building. Developers also found that requiring fewer shafts meant more leasable space, making buildings more attractive to investors. Twenty years later, TK Elevator’s TWIN is still the only elevator in the world capable of offering the many benefits of two cabins moving independently in one shaft.

“TWIN is a perfect example of TK Elevator’s vision in practice : a ground-breaking innovation in the technology of human mobility, and an opportunity to move beyond conventional ways of transporting people,” says Uday Yadav, CEO of TK Elevator.

Technology for the future

The energy consumption of buildings is one of the largest contributors to the operational carbon footprint of cities around the world. Although double-decker elevators were already well established in the last century, they can only move both elevator cars at the same time and therefore often use energy to power empty cabins. In comparison, TWIN conserves energy by parking one of the cabins whenever passenger volumes are low. When traffic volumes are high and there is a lot of inter-floor traffic, TWIN also minimizes congestion and reduces waiting times. Initially developed to address the high inter-floor traffic flow in offices, TWIN has been implemented as the mobility solution of choice in many other building types due to its high-degree of flexibility.

While TWIN always came equipped with a regenerative drive, which uses the elevator’s own braking mechanism to generate electricity which is then fed back into the building’s grid, several updates have been made since its launch.

Built for flexibility

TWIN was created with the digital future in mind. Passengers simply select a floor at an AGILE Destination Control lobby terminal, and the intelligent dispatching algorithm automatically directs passengers to the elevator they need. This not only quickens the pace and improves efficiency, it also allows for adaptability to brand-new building traffic concepts and fluctuating traffic patterns.

With its overall versatility and dependable digital connectivity, TWIN works well in combination with other types of elevators. This is of particular interest due to the growing need to seamlessly coordinate a variety of mobility solutions, either because of special needs in mixed-use buildings or because the usage of transfer floors or other interruptions to people flow are not viable. And while in most older buildings elevator shafts are limited, a total replacement and modernisation with TWIN’s built-in benefits brings refurbished buildings up-to-date, providing them with more efficient mobility and lower energy consumption.

Last but not least, TWIN boasts a four-level, TÜV-approved and SIL3-classified safety system, which ensures that the cabins always operate at a minimum safety distance from each another.

As of 2023, TWINs have been installed in major cities in Europe, the Middle East, Asia and the US. French architect Jean-Luc Crochon, who incorporated eight TWIN units into the landmark Trinity Tower in Paris, says, “By integrating two lift cabins into the same shaft, TWIN lifts have helped to accentuate the unique façade of Trinity, by offering a glimpse of the effervescent life inside. It is the first tower in Paris’ La Défense district to open its core to the public view, creating a link between the tower and its neighborhood. This solution also offers greater agility in managing the traffic inherent in a high-rise building.”  

TK Elevator is proud that each year, even more developers, architects, and planners are incorporating the advantages of TWIN into their building plans.
More information : https://www.tkelevator.com/global-en/products-and-service/twin/
Photo : Courtesy of Dji