“An Invisible Door”

“This glass elevator takes passengers from an underground parking garage, through a hill, to the castle-like buildings of Washington University,” described Corinne Char, who submitted a pair of photos from above and below ground to the 2024 ELEVATOR WORLD photo contest. Founded in 1853 and named after the first president of the U.S., WashU is a private research university in St. Louis, Missouri. Installed by Midwest Elevator, the hydraulic lift was part of a massive capital project encompassing 18 acres of the Danforth Campus that began in 2017 and concluded in 2019. Five new buildings were added, the university’s art museum was expanded and hundreds of surface parking spaces were moved underground to allow for the creation of a large park. Fabricated by TROCOFAB and installed by IWR North America, the custom glass enclosure surrounding the four-floor elevator serves as an “invisible door.” The shaft provides for an unobstructed view of the surrounding historic buildings, while allowing natural light into the underground parking facility.   

References

[1] wikipedia.org/Washington_University_in_St._Louis

[2] campusnext.wustl.edu/check-out-10-must-see-east-end-highlights

[3] trocofab.com/washington-university-glass-elevator