Water Elevator

17 Feb 2011
Progress: Concept

I was in a posh hotel the other day and the lift was utterly ridiculous. Granite floor, marble walls, it was unsurpassable luxury.

But when it began to move, it wasn't perfect. They'd clearly spent a lot of money attempting to minimise the vibrations but the movement was still noticeable.

Enter the water elevator. The entire lift shaft is filled to the brim with water. The carriage is a watertight glass bubble of fresh air.

The winch resides at the bottom of the shaft, pulling the car downwards against the buoyant forces. In the unlikely event of a cable breakage, the car would gently float to the top.

But best of all, with all that water around you, it would be completely silent, completely smooth and completely luxurious.