Shanghai, China
Shanghai is one of the most populous cities in the world and a global financial center. In its rise to becoming a megalopolis, the city is retrofitting old buildings and structures, transforming them into modern office complexes such as the China Plaza 66.
China Plaza 66 is located in the Jing’an District, a prominent commercial area. It hosts numerous Fortune 500 companies and has been setting trends from the time it was built in 2001. However, time has taken its toll and the property has faced stiff competition from newer, more modern office buildings that have been coming up. Which is why its developers decided to upgrade the building. They focused on modernizing the elevator system to reduce operational costs and improve people flow – a feat made all the more challenging by the fact that this was a fully operational building. The KONE team started by surveying the existing equipment and gathering mechanical and electrical information on them. Then, KONE applied a design aesthetics-based solution to this problem, giving the buildings a contemporary look-and-feel while enhancing user experience. While this kept disturbance to tenants and users to a minimum, KONE also used its innovative products to address other challenges, namely increasing energy efficiency and improving people flow. For instance, KONE’s ReGenerate800 solution provided greater reliability and safety as compared with the older elevators, while recovering up to 30% of the energy consumed. Additionally, KONE’s Destination control systems were installed, shortening waiting times, reducing the number of intermediate stops, and increasing handling capacity.
