Solae Test Tower by Alpsdake licensed under the terms of Public Domain
Did you know that there are buildings constructed specifically to test elevators? These tall, thin, windowless towers exist solely for testing their speed, safety and durability.
Solae Tower is the tallest such tower on earth at 173 meters (567 feet) in height! That’s over 60 feet taller than any building in San Diego. The $50 million structure looms high over all other buildings in the city.
As buildings continue to increase in height, elevators will need to get faster to accommodate them. A skyscraper currently being built in Guangzhou, China will have two 45-mph elevators, up from the current record of 38 mph. Towers like Solae are the best way to ensure their reliability.
Despite Solae Tower’s practical purpose, though, it looks more like some kind of futuristic citadel.
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