In a certain mega city, a 45 story "cloud mansion" once attracted entrepreneurs and celebrities to move in with its "vertical city lifestyle". The developer installed 12 original German elevators for it, with leather carpets and crystal panels in the cabins, originally intended to showcase "top-notch service". However, after only half a year of delivery, the homeowners' forum has been filled with complaints - the elevator not only lacks convenience, but has also become a hindrance to daily life.
Three major mistakes
Firstly, the speed of sightseeing elevators is only 1.5 meters per second, while similar buildings generally have a speed of 2.5-3 meters per second. During the morning rush hour, residents on the 45th floor wait an average of 25 minutes.
Secondly, elevators are divided into low, medium, and high sections, with only 4 elevators in each section. Cross regional travel is extremely cumbersome, with a single pick-up trip taking over 12 minutes.
Thirdly, luxurious decoration brings hidden dangers. The mirror and glass design frequently obstructs the elderly and wheelchair users, and the emergency button is hidden, which once caused a delay in seeking help when a homeowner fell ill.
Chain consequences
Within six months, there were a total of 15 elevator stops and 23 failed door closures, resulting in 3 injuries and 1 pet death. Nearly 90% of the 500 complaints involve elevators. Housing prices have also been dragged down, with second-hand listing prices 18% lower than surrounding areas and transaction cycles three times longer. The so-called 'elevator butler' - arranging a dedicated person to manage floors on behalf of others, has been ridiculed as an 'insult to intelligence'.
Industry common problems
The 2023 report from the China Real Estate Association pointed out that there are three common problems with elevators in super luxury homes: pursuing gimmicks at the expense of efficiency; Partition design detached from actual needs; The maintenance fee accounts for less than 30% (industry benchmark 45%), and the equipment is accelerating aging.
Rectification and Return
After the class action lawsuit by the owners, the project replaced the domestic high-speed elevator (1600kg, 3 meters/second), introduced facial recognition and IoT monitoring, and transformed the elevator hall into a "vertical living room" to provide rest and express delivery functions. After three months of rectification, satisfaction increased to 85 points, and the number of second-hand housing inquiries increased by 40%.
The crisis of luxury elevator indicates that residential design must be people-oriented. Whether in luxury homes or ordinary apartments, what is truly needed is not a 'display elevator', but a safe and efficient passage. Only by returning to practicality can elevators improve the quality of life, rather than becoming a burden.