World's first panoramic TWINs start operation

The first two panoramic TWIN systems in the world have been installed and put into operation in the Main Triangel building in Frankfurt by ThyssenKrupp Aufzüge, a subsidiary of ThyssenKrupp Elevator AG. The Main Triangel is an office complex combining modern working and lifestyles under one roof. Located directly on the banks of the River Main, the building offers roughly 30,000 square meters of space for 1,200 employees. The TWIN principle with two independent cabs running in one shaft provides a modern, efficient and aesthetically appealing transportation concept.

Our TWIN elevators with destination selection control system take passengers to their destinations quickly and reliably. As they take up less room than conventional elevators, these systems free up valuable space for other uses.

The new technical developments needed to allow TWINs with glass cabs to run in an open shaft allowed the architects of the Main Triangel building to maintain the light, open concept of the largely glass facade. Alongside technical innovations, ThyssenKrupp Aufzüge delivered an innovative, aesthetic solution.

The cabs, each with a capacity for 18 people, and their support structures are positioned on the outside of the building where they are exposed to significant changes in temperature and climate. To ensure that passengers are transported reliably and in comfort, the panormatic TWINs are equipped with underfloor heating, air conditioning and heating elements in the glass walls. None of the switches or cables in the shafts are visible; for example, the suspension ropes are hidden in closed sections running the full height of the shaft.

The Main Triangle building's unusual appearance is down to its triangular shape and sloping design from seven to 15 stories. The two elements of the building - the "High Rise" and the "Forum" - and the atrium between them are cleverly combined into a single unit by a fine glass roof.

In addition to the first two panoramic TWIN elevators, ThyssenKrupp Elevator has installed nine further systems in the Main Triangel building. Alongside the fire service, garbage and freight elevators, these include a further panoramic elevator group and a conventional passenger elevator. These eleven installations with a total of 13 cabs ensure that employees and visitors to the impressive building are kept moving smoothly.

The first TWIN elevator was installed at Stuttgart University in early 2003. The challenge was to transport increasing numbers of students in the university building without making any structural changes. Two more TWIN systems have been installed in the Dreischeibenhaus, ThyssenKrupp's headquarters building in Düsseldorf. In principle, the cabs can travel in the same shaft at different speeds, although logically the upper cab is the faster of the two. Four systems will be installed in the BMW headquarters building in Munich as part of a modernization program, and another TWIN is in service at the newly completed Oceanic Center in Valencia, Spain. Further prestigious buildings currently under construction will be equipped with TWIN elevators, from one system in the Trumpf Technology Center in Seoul, Korea to eleven in Moscow's Federation Tower in Russia.