Bureau Ascenseur/Ascenseur Bureau

"Office elevators" can be found in buildings around the world, allowing workers to reach their places of business in tall towers. ELEVATOR WORLD headquarters could be considered an "elevator office" — although its one-story nature makes vertical-transportation (VT) equipment unnecessary. But a functional elevator that doubles as an office workspace is a perplexing concept.

Ce mash-up mobile verticalement existe cependant, à Le gratte-ciel de Bat'a in Zlín, Czech Republic. Also known as Building No. 21, the office tower was built between 1936 and 1938 to serve as the administration building of the Bata Shoes factory. Under the direction of company president Jan Antonín Bat'a, architect Vladimír Karfík designed the 16-floor tower in the Constructivist style. Bat'a's tower was one of the first high-rise buildings constructed in Europe, and at the time, the third tallest.

La tour dispose d'un impressionnant ensemble d'équipements VT, dont quatre ascenseurs avec opérateurs utilisés par le personnel, se déplaçant à une vitesse de 2 m/s ; un ascenseur express pour les visiteurs de l'entreprise, se déplaçant à une vitesse allant jusqu'à 3.2 m/s ; et un ascenseur Paternoster avec 31 cabines reliant deux étages adjacents. Le bâtiment disposait également d'un monte-charge et d'un ascenseur pour la distribution du courrier. Et, bien sûr, grand ascenseur/bureau d'angle construit par Otis pour le président de l'entreprise.

Moving at .75 m/s, the 6 x 6 m, air-conditioned lift office features a desk, working telephone line, overhead lighting and running sink with heated water. Sadly, Bat'a never had the chance to use it; it was completed during World War II after he had relocated abroad.

The building underwent a CZK630 million (US$27 million) renovation in 2014 and has since been used as the Regional Office of the Zlín Region. Additional restorations took place in 2018, including repairs to the elevators and paternoster. Visitors can view a permanent exhibition detailing the building's history on the second floor, have a meal at the restaurant on the third floor and enjoy the café and viewing platform on the top-floor terrace.