Paternoster

This article is about the lift. For other meanings see Pater Noster (disambiguation).

A paternoster in Prague

A paternoster or paternoster lift is a passenger elevator which consists of a chain of open compartments (each usually designed for two persons) that move slowly in a loop up and down inside a building without stopping. Passengers can step on or off at any floor they like. The same technique is also used for filing cabinets to store great amounts of (paper) documents or for small spare parts. As a result of safety issues, many such lifts have been shut down, however a small few survive around the world, the largest of these located in the Arts Tower at the University of Sheffield, which also remains the tallest university-owned building in the UK.^[1]

History

First built in 1884 by the Dartford, England engineering firm of J & E Hall Ltd as the Cyclic Elevator, the name paternoster ("Our Father", the first two words of the Lord's Prayer in Latin) was originally applied to the device because the elevator is in the form of a loop and is thus similar to rosary beads used as an aid in reciting prayers.^[2]

Paternosters were popular throughout the first half of the 20th century as they could carry more passengers than ordinary elevators. They were more common in continental Europe, especially in public buildings, than in the United Kingdom. They are rather slow elevators, typically travelling at about 0.3 metres per second, thus improving the chances of getting on and off successfully.^[3]

Today, in many countries the construction of new paternosters is no longer allowed because of the high risk of accidents (people tripping or falling over when trying to enter or alight). Five people were killed by paternosters from 1970 to 1993. The elderly, the handicapped and children are the most in danger of being crushed.^[4] In 1989, the paternoster in Newcastle University's Claremont Tower was taken out of service after a passenger undertaking an up-and-over journey became caught in the drive chain, necessitating a rescue by the Fire Service. A conventional elevator was subsequently installed in its place. This accident led to an 18-month close-down of all UK paternosters for a safety review,^{[citation needed]} during which additional safety devices were fitted.

In April 2006, Hitachi announced plans for a modern paternoster-style elevator with computer-controlled cars and normal elevator doors to alleviate safety concerns.^[5][6][7]

Surviving paternosters

Oldest Paternoster in Austria by Anton Freissler, installed in 1911

A paternoster in former East Berlin, still in use

A view from inside the above paternoster, showing the gap between floors

Numerous working paternosters are known to survive in Europe (this is an incomplete list):

Austria

• City Hall of Vienna (at stairway 6 near the northern entrance)
• House of Industry, Schwarzenbergplatz 4, Vienna (oldest paternoster in Austria by Anton Freissler)
• Federal Ministry of Economics and Labour, Stubenring, Vienna
• Ministry of Defence, Rossauer Lände 1, Vienna
• Federal Computing Centre, Hintere Zollamtsstraße 4, Vienna
• Versicherungsanstalt für Eisenbahnen und Bergbau (Insurance institution of the railway and mining industries), Linke Wienzeile, Vienna
• The Ringturm (Wiener Städtische Versicherung / Vienna City Insurance Headquarters Building), Schottenring 30, Vienna
• KELAG Zentrale Klagenfurt, Arnulfplatz 2, 9020 Klagenfurt (Kärntner Elektrizitäts Aktiengesellschaft/Carinthian electricity supplier)

Belgium

• A functioning paternoster can be found at the Flemish Parliament in Brussels, Belgium, where it is used as an art display.
• Another paternoster can be found in a building of the Belgian Railways (NMBS) at the station Brussels-Zuid/Midi. It's still used daily.

Czech Republic

• The Komerční Banka building on Václavské náměstí in Prague. (This is a working office and not open to the general public, but it can be seen from the main lobby).
• The Municipality hall of Praha 1 (Vodičkova 18) has a working paternoster open to public combined with two classic lifts, one dedicated to baby trolleys and wheel chairs which are not allowed on the paternoster.
• Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Prague
• Faculty of Law, Charles University, Nám. Curieových 7, Prague
• Czech Technical University in Prague on Dejvice , Technická 2, Prague
• Within the Lucerna building in Prague, near the entrance from Štěpánská.
• Office building of KAUČUK, a.s. in Kralupy nad Vltavou near Prague.
• Ministry of Finance in Prague
• Health center Building on Smíchov, Kartouzská 6, Prague
• Ministry of Agriculture, Prague Florenc
• CEZ (Czech Energy Corp) Jungmanova Street, Prague
• City Courthouse in 2 Prague on Slezska, open to the public (after passing through security)
• Trades Office (Živnostenský úřad), Malinovského Náměstí, Brno
• A working paternoster can be found at the Faculty Of Mechanical Engineering, Brno University of Technology where it is being used by students and faculty staff.
• Bývalý Krajský úřad Zlín (yellow building)
• Office building of Spolek pro chemickou a hutní výrobu (Spolchemie) in Ústí nad Labem
• New Townhall on Prokešovo náměstí in Ostrava, which are open to the public.
• SZIF, Hradec Králové, Ulrichovo náměstí 810/4
• Former Building of Rude Pravo Newspapers on Na Florenci street 19, Reception B, Prague 1 (about to be demolished, but occasionally working, for example during Krétakör's performance, during 2011 Praque Quadriennial)

Denmark

• At the seat of the Danish parliament, Christiansborg, there is a working paternoster open to the public.
• Frederiksberg City Hall.
• At Danfoss Nordborg
• At the Axelborg building right across from the Tivoli main entrance
• At KVUC in Copenhagen
• At The Danish Dairy Board in Aarhus.
• At Horsens hospital, The hospital in the city Horsens, there is a working paternoster, but not open to the public.
• At Vejle hospital, The hospital in the city Vejle, there is a working paternoster, but not open to the public.

Finland

• The Finnish house of parliament, the Eduskuntatalo, Helsinki. (Members and staff of Parliament only)
• Former Elanto co-op headquarters, Helsinki.
• Kansaneläkelaitos office building, Helsinki. (Staff only)
• Stockmann department store, Helsinki (Staff only)
• Office building in Yliopistonkatu, Turku (former headquarters of the Sampo insurance company).

Germany

• Hamburg, Trostbrücke 1, in the Altstadt district (accessible during office hours - no groups and guided tours). A paternoster still in operation and open to general public is in the Bezirksamt Eimsbüttel (Grindelberg 62/66). Qype's former office building at Deichstraße 29 also has a working Paternoster. Kaiser-Wilhelm-Straße 16 (Publisher Axel Springer) offers at least one paternoster. Ballindamm 25 (shipping company Hapag Lloyd) still has one in use (not open to the public). Stadthausbrücke 8 (authorities ›Stadt-Entwicklungs-Behörde‹) uses a paternoster. Another one being in service can be found in Rathausstraße 7, entrance via Knochenhauertwiete, close to the town hall. Steinhöft 11 (office block ›Slomanhaus‹). There is also a paternoster in the St. Annen 2 building in the historic Speicherstadt, which is not in use at the moment.
• The IG Farben Building in Frankfurt-am-Main. The current occupants of the building, Johann Wolfgang Goethe University, have pledged to maintain and preserve the famous paternosters."In perpetuity"
• Frankfurt, Fleming's Deluxe Hotel the paternoster provides service to six floors and the rooftop restaurant.
• Stuttgart, town hall, Literaturhaus, Universität Stuttgart, Allianz Lebensversicherungs-AG (only for employees), Kaufhof (near main station (only for employees)), Robert Bosch GmbH (Stuttgart-Feuerbach — only for employees), Arbeitsgericht
• Kiel Rathaus, or town hall. One of the best examples in Germany, it is 5 levels and it open to the public.
• Essen Deutsches Haus.
• Mannheim operations building of SCA (only for employees)
• Leverkusen, some at Bayer AG's plant.
• Dortmund, in the vestibule of the Signal-Versicherung building, situated by the junction between the Maerkische Strasse, and the Ostwall.
• Dresden,^[8] / Schnieder Energy (Ex AREVA T&D) building. For staff and authorised visitors only.
• Duisburg, both in the city hall and the internal revenue offices.
• Düsseldorf, in the older of the three Vodafone Global buildings. Currently out of use following an incident; In the Polizeipräsidium (Jürgensplatz 40219)
• Cologne, in the IHK (Industrie- und Handelskammer/Chamber of Industry and Trade) Building (Unter Sachsenhausen 10-26, D-50667 Cologne, Hansahochhaus (housing Saturn, Hansaring, Maybachstraße 115, D-50674 Cologne), WDR HQ (Wallrafplatz 1, D-50667 Cologne (only for employees); Kaufhof (Hohe Straße 41-53, D-50667), Kaufhof Corporate HQ (Leonhard-Tietz-Str., D-50667 Cologne (not open to the public); Volkshochschule Building (near Neumarkt, D-50667 Cologne); Former Felten & Guilleaume Corporate HQ (Schanzenstr. 28, D-51069 Cologne-Mülheim, accessible public office building, 5 Stories); former downtown Bezirksamt „Dischhaus“ (Brückenstr., D-50667 Cologne);Bezirksregierung Köln (Regional Government Center Cologne), Entrance: Zeughausstraße 8 (D-50667 Cologne)
• Berlin Foreign Office, Werderscher Markt 1; Finance Ministry, Wilhelmstrasse 97; Agriculture Ministry, Wilhelmstrasse 54; Axel Springer Building, Axel Springer Strasse 65; Bayer Schering Pharma, AG; ART+COM, Kleiststrasse 23-26, 10787 Berlin; (52°30′4.99″N 13°20′39.72″E / 52.5013861°N 13.3443667°E / 52.5013861; 13.3443667), rbb (Radio Berlin Brandenburg) Masurenallee 8-14; Rathaus Schöneberg, John-F-Kennedy-Platz; Siemens AG, Siemensdamm (in several buildings); Berlin-Brandenburgische Akademie der Wissenschaften, Jägerstraße 22/23; Tempelhof Airport (serving the offices in the towers, not the public part of the airport).
• Bremen, Baumwollbörse, Wachtstraße 17-24 (near Town Hall); Haus des Reichs, Rudolf-Hilferding-Platz 1
• Wiesbaden, two still in operation in buildings in the industrial park "Infra-Serv Kalle-Albert", Kasteler Straße 45, not accessible to the general public
• Leipzig, new town hall
• Munich, Kaufhof am Marienplatz has a paternoster working for the staff. The building was erected in 1972, so it is one of the last ones ever in Germany. The Polizeipraesidium—the main police station—in the Ettstrasse behind the Frauenkirche has a paternoster, which is accessible to the public. One was in the old Sueddeutsche Zeitung Verlagsgebaeude; another in the Hochhaus an der Blumenstrasse.
• Kassel, headquarters of the Wintershall Holding AG, a subsidiary of BASF, not accessible to the general public
• Wuppertal, in the town hall of Barmen and Elberfeld, in the headquarters of Vorwerk (not open to the public), and the fiscal office in Elberfeld
• Augsburg, Finanzamt Augsburg-Stadt, accessible to employees and visitors
• Halle, Saxony-Anhalt, Ratshof

Hungary

• MOL Group's Headquarters in Budapest
• University of Miskolc
• Jahn Ferenc Hospital in Budapest
• MÁV Hospital in Budapest
• Hungarian Television's building in Budapest at Szabadság sqr (Soon to be renovated by new owner, the future of the paternoster is unknown)
• Ministry of Education and Culture in Budapest
• Ministry of Defense in Budapest
• Ministry of Justice in Budapest
• Hungarian Trade Licensing Office in Budapest
• Hospital of Kecskemét
• HQ of the Bkv Zrt. (Budapest public transport company) in Budapest, Akácfa street
• Building of the Hungarian Power Companies Ltd. at Vám u. 5-7., Budapest
• OTP Bank's Headquarters in Budapest, Nádor street
• Former HQ of the Hungarian Post Co. Ltd. at Krisztina krt. 6-8., Budapest
• Hospital of Szigetvár
• County hall (of Csongrád County) in Szeged
• Pesti Központi Kerületi Bíróság (Central District Court of Pest) at Marko u. 25. Budapest
• County Court of Pest County (Pest megyei Bíróság) at Thököly út 97-101. Budapest
• Central Bank of Hungary at Szabadság square 8-9. Budapest
• County Court of Baranya County, (Baranya Megyei Bíróság) Pécs

Italy

• Air Force Ministry, Rome

Netherlands

• Paternosters are still in operation at the main office of the Corus Steelworks (formerly Hoogovens) in IJmuiden. This remarkable building (by Dudok, 1951) was restored in 1999.
• The office building of Ziggo at Spaarneplein (formerly Main Post Office, architect D.E.C. Knuttel 1919) in The Hague also still has a Paternoster.
• The Grand Hotel Amrath Amsterdam has a working Paternoster. The building, the Scheepvaarthuis, was originally built as the headquarters for the six leading Amsterdam shipping companies in 1913 forming the Netherland Line(architect J.M.van der Meij. This Paternoster is in working condition but not open for use by residents or staff due to safety restrictions.
• The Philips High Tech campus in Eindhoven had a paternoster in operation until 2006.
• The formerly Main Post Office at the Coolsingel in Rotterdam (architect G.C. Bremer, 1915).
• The formerly Raad van Arbeid/Sociale Verzekeringsbank at the Rhijnspoorplein 1 in Amsterdam (1919). In operation until 2006
• HaKa-building in Rotterdam (architects H.F. Mertens and J.Koeman, 1932). In operation.
• The formerly Belastingdienst at the Puntegaalstraat in Rotterdam (architect H.Hoekstra, 1938/1948). Working Paternoster; not in operation.

Norway

• Oslo: Landbrukets hus (House of Agriculture), Schweigaards gate 34 C (59°54′35.10″N 10°45′56.19″E / 59.90975°N 10.7656083°E / 59.90975; 10.7656083). Not open to the public. This is the last remaining operating paternoster lift in Norway.
• Oslo (closed pasternoster lifts): There used to be paternoster lifts at Ullevål hospital (central block, sealed off), the old State Hospital building, the former Aftenposten building at Akersgata, Oslo Lysverker at Solli plass and a couple more.

Poland

• Katowice, the Silesian Parliament at Jagiellonska 25; 14 cabs, 7 floors; built by VEB Aufzugbau Leipzig
• Katowice, office building at Wita Stwosza 7; 12 cabs, 4 floors; built by Flohr (1951: Flohr-Otis, 1989: Otis)
• Wrocław, the head office of Bank Zachodni WBK at Rynek 9/11; 20 cabs, 10 floors, built when the city was part of Germany as Breslau; the paternoster is still in use, yet it is only available to the bank staff
• Gliwice, office building of "Bumar Łabędy" at Mechanikow 9; 14 cabs, 8 floors; build before 1945 when the city was part of Germany as Gleiwitz, only available to the company employees

Russia

• Building E of Moscow Power Engineering Institute, Moscow—non-working
• Ministry of Agriculture, Orlikov Pereulok, Moscow

Slovakia

• Ministry of Finance, Štefanovičova street, Bratislava
• Ministry of Agriculture, Dobrovičova street, Bratislava
• Ministry of Transport, posts and telecommunications, Nám. slobody, Bratislava
• Ministry of Interior, Pribinova street, Bratislava
• Office building at Popradska @ Moskovska trieda, Košice
• Technical University of Košice
• Chirana Export - Import, Krajinska street, Piešťany
• Slovakotex, Jilemnickeho street, Trenčín

Removed and replaced in 2007 with a modern elevator:

• The Railways of the Slovak Republic HQ, Klemensova street, Bratislava
• U.S. Steel Košice Main Administrative Building

Serbia

• One elevator still active, in HQ building of Serbian Railways.

Sri Lanka

• Head office, Ceylon Electricity Board, Colombo. Not open to the public.

Sweden

• Two elevators are still in active service at Norrland's University Hospital in Umeå.
• HSB head office, Kungsholmen, Stockholm. Not open to the public.

Switzerland

• Hôpitaux universitaires de Genève, hospital in Geneva (in use until 2009)
• Vaucher Sport,^[9] a sport shop in Bern

Ukraine

• Regional State Administration Building in Uzhhorod

United Kingdom

Some United Kingdom, multi-story, university buildings were built in the early 1960s and 1970s with paternoster lifts: they included buildings at Aston University; Birmingham University's Gisbert Kapp building (the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, completed in 1971), the Muirhead Tower, and the University Library); Birmingham City University's Baker Building; The Albert Sloman Library at the University of Essex; University of Leicester's Attenborough Building; Leeds University's Roger Stevens building, now closed, Salford University's Chemistry tower block, now demolished - although the paternoster itself was closed down in the late 1970s following a fatal accident at another UK university; Sheffield University's Arts Tower, Imperial College's Chemistry Department (removed in the mid 1980s^[10]), De Montfort University's Fletcher Building (now replaced with high speed lifts) and James Went Building (now demolished), Oxford University's Biochemistry building and Thom Building (housing the Department of Engineering Science), and Newcastle University. Until the late 1980s, St. Thomas' Hospital, Westminster had a paternoster for staff use, whiles one administrative building at AEE Winfrith had one until the late 1990s.

Paternoster at the Albert Sloman library at the University of Essex

• The Arts Tower at the University of Sheffield contains a 38-car paternoster.^[11] The building is a teaching block and not specifically open to the public, but the paternoster can be seen from the front door.
• Attenborough Tower at the University of Leicester.
• A seven floor Paternoster survives in E block at the Ericsson (formerly Marconi) site in Beeston, Nottinghamshire. Employees were banned from going around the bottom or over the top following an incident a few years ago, when abuse caused by a group of visitors shaking the car had caused the car to get stuck at the bottom. The lift has been out of action since November 2007, and is unlikely to be put back into service.
• Rolls-Royce's seven storey tower block on Victory Road in Derby. The award-winning building housing this (designed by Rolls-Royce in-house architect Andrew Carr) has been demolished, and the paternoster scrapped.
• Staff in the main ward building of Northwick Park Hospital, Harrow, London, have access to a paternoster in the main ward block. This is regularly maintained and is frequently used by staff instead of the nearby conventional lifts due to its speed in transferring between adjacent floors.^[12]
• The Dental Hospital in Birmingham has one which used to be for staff use, until maintenance costs forced its closure in 2007.
• In Scotland, a working paternoster serves seven floors of the Pontecorvo Building (former Department of Genetics) at the University of Glasgow. The building is not open to the public. A paternoster was installed there on construction, in 1966–1967 (by architects Basil Spence & Partners) because each floor has a small area and it was anticipated that staff and students would make many short journeys. This expectation has been fulfilled, and the paternoster is considered to have been a very valuable device. Occupants of the Pontecorvo Building are currently being relocated to allow its demolition.
• There is a paternoster at Technology House, the headquarters of Boxclever, in Bedford, which was switched off on February 11, 2008 for health and safety reasons
• There is a paternoster at Chadwick House, an office building at Birchwood Park near Warrington. Although covered over during re-refurbishments in 2005 due to maintenance costs, the paternoster is still operable if uncovered.
• There is a disused paternoster at Marks & Spencer in Liverpool. The lift was used until the late 1990s and was covered up due to health and safety concerns and rising maintenance costs. It is still fully in place behind access panels.
• There is a disused paternoster in Marks & Spencer Pantheon, London, which is covered up.
• There is a disused paternoster in the former Elliott Brothers research laboratories in Borehamwood, later renamed GEC, Marconi, and now the Elstree Business Centre. This paternoster was used in an episode of The Unmutual Prisoner, and taken out of service and covered up in 2001.^[13]

References

1. ^ "Paternosterkast". http://www.bertello.nl/vistamag_bertello_nederland.htm. Retrieved 11 December 2010. 
2. ^ "paternoster, n.". Oxford University Press. dictionary.oed.com. March 8, 2010. http://dictionary.oed.com/cgi/entry/50172804. 
3. ^ Strakosch, George R. (1998). The vertical transportation handbook. Wiley. pp. 99–100. ISBN 978-0471162919. http://books.google.com/?id=GLZdcTVI4kIC&pg=PA99&dq=elevator+paternoster#v=onepage&q=elevator%20paternoster&f=false. Retrieved July 22, 2010. 
4. ^ "This elevator can be hazardous to your health". The Associated Press, in The Times-News. July 9, 1993.. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ic0dAAAAIBAJ&sjid=aCUEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6823,1659567&dq=fatal+paternoster&hl=en. Retrieved July 22, 2010. 
5. ^ Staedter, Tracy (June 2006). "Lifts in Loops". Fast Company (106): p. 35. http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/106/next-artifact.html. Retrieved 12 July 2010 
6. ^ "Circulating Multi-car Elevator". News Release Digest. Hitachi. 1 March 2006. http://www.hitachi.com/rd/pdf/news/merl060301nrde_elevator.pdf. Retrieved 12 July 2010. 
7. ^ "Google translation of [http://www.hitachi.co.jp/New/cnews/month/2006/03/0301.html hitachi.co.jp"]. Translate.google.com. http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=ja&u=http://www.hitachi.co.jp/New/cnews/month/2006/03/0301.html&sa=X&oi=translate&resnum=3&ct=result&prev=/search%3Fq%3D%2522multi-car%2522%2Belevator%2Bsite:hitachi.co.jp%26hl%3Den. Retrieved 12 July 2010. 
8. ^ Alstom Grid grid.alstom.com
9. ^ "Vaucher Sport Specialist - Internet-Shop". Vauchersport.ch. http://www.vauchersport.ch/information.php?p_info_id=81_86&info_id=86&box_title=Company. Retrieved 2010-09-12. 
10. ^ "MetaFilter thread 'Our father who art in elevator shafts'". MetaFilter. 2007-10-04. http://www.metafilter.com/65278/Our-father-who-art-in-elevator-shafts#1861968. Retrieved 2010-10-25. 
11. ^ "PatList". Flemming-hamburg.de. http://www.flemming-hamburg.de/patlist.htm#grossbritannien. Retrieved 2009-11-17. 
12. ^ Paternoster at Northwick Park Hospital on YouTube
13. ^ "The Unmutual Prisoner Locations Guide, GEC-Marconi Building, Borehamwood". http://www.theunmutual.co.uk/gec.htm. Retrieved 2010-06-03. 

External links

• A clip of new students trying a Paternoster in Leicester
• The Elevator Museum
• List and photos of paternoster lifts (German)
• Paternosters still in operation in Germany, Switzerland, and Austria (German)
• Link to a tour of the University of Essex Albert Sloman library in England with picture of the paternoster lift
• Pages about history of paternosters in the world and especially in the Czech Republic (Czech) List of all paternosters in Prague with information and photographs. Technical directives of the European Union for paternosters.
• History and photos of the I.G. Farben Building (now the Poelzig-Bau) in Frankfurt/M, Germany, famous for its paternosters
• Information and photos regarding the GEC Marconi paternoster featured in "The Prisoner" TV series
• A short video of the operating paternoster in Leipzig
• Páternoszter artgroup