Schindler Elevators at Europe’s Highest Research Facility

On October 21, Schindler spotlighted its two elevators serving Europe’s highest research facility — the Sphinx Observatory in the Swiss Alps, which sits at an altitude of nearly 3,600 m and experiences temperatures as low as -37˚C. Every day, researchers, laboratory staff and thousands of visitors rely on the two Schindler elevators — among the fastest in Europe, traveling more than 108 m in only 25 s — to access the observatory and its panoramic viewing deck on a mountain summit. Scientists and tourists relied on a single elevator from 1937, when the facility opened, until the 1990s, when the original unit was replaced by new Schindler elevators.  These elevators were recently modernized by Schindler, which implemented meticulous planning, innovative engineering and expert human oversight to achieve success in the face of high altitude and extreme weather conditions.