Elevating aesthetic appeal

Geetu Vaid

Elevators and lifts have become a necessity in the high-rise buildings and apartment blocks nowadays. No wonder then that design innovations and new trends are making waves in this building product segment. Amit Gossain, Managing Director, KONE India, who was in Chandigarh earlier this week to inaugurate the company’s regional office in Mohali, shares how a humble lift is transforming into a style statement in the urban landscape.  Finland-based Kone currently has 20 per  cent market share in the Indian lift and elevator market. Excerpts from an interaction:   

What are the major trends that are ruling the market now?

First of all, the lifts and elevators that can be installed fast as well as those that are highly efficient and low maintenance are the ones trending now. With RERA rules in force, the builders now have to finish the projects within a given deadline. Thus, no one wants  a project to be delayed due to lengthy process of installation of lifts. 

Secondly, there is more focus on the aesthetics or look of an elevator. Though stainless steel remains the evergreen option, glass and transparent lifts, even in residential buildings, are getting popular. Customers also want to choose the colour and lighting in the lifts these days. Each builder wants to give something exclusive to its customers to get the desired price and great looking elevators and lifts create that first impression on buyers that is lasting. 

Then power-saving elevators are increasingly in demand nowadays. With energy efficiency and saving becoming the catchword in the construction industry buyers are going in for “green elevators”. We endeavour to save up to 30 per cent on energy costs with our products. 

Use of technology is increasing as now there are IOT-based lifts and elevators, which are user friendly as well as  safe.  

How has the design perception for elevators transformed over the years?

An elevator or lift is no longer a luxury as even in individual homes people, especially those withageing parents, are not averse to spend Rs 15 to 20 lakh in installing a lift. A lift is almost a part of the architectural design now and discerning clients look for aesthetic elements more. Thus, as a company for us design specifications have become important. We recently launched a Navratna collection in UMono and UMini product range. This collection is based on the nine gems and there are 27 designs, each representing the colour and finish of a particular gem. Thus the AcuaSparkle range has more of blue tones, where as Crimson Spark has a tinge of gold and red to it. Before this our IMini and IMono range, with 52 designs, was based on Vaastu principles as there are many customers who wanted the elevators to be Vaastu friendly. The use of five elements as well the direction of doors etc were based on Vaastu in this collection. 

Safety remains a basic concern what are the features that ensure complete safety of the users? 

First of all the design parameters should be safe. That is why we use globally tested designs that are customised for Indian customers and buildings. The strength of ropes, design of the car,  its weight-bearing capacity, doors, automatic rescue device and power back-up provision are the basic safety features that have to be there. 

Regular maintenance is the most important safety procedure which should not be overlooked. On an average the life of a branded elevator is around 20 years, while the local ones may not last that long. So, regular servicing as well as updation should be carried out to ensure entrapment-free performance of the lift.