Innovation: What is special about the lifts at the QT hotel in Sydney?

At Dunbar and Boardman we keep a watching brief on innovation within the vertical transportation industry and bring it to your attention. In 2013 new technology was installed into the 5 Otis traction lifts at the QT hotel in Sydney located in the historic Gowings Building. The new technology created interactive installations and was the work of a company called Alchemy.This technology enables the lift to change music dependent upon who’s inside much to the amusement of passengers riding the lift. The interactive installations have cemented the hotel’s quirkiness and have been largely well received.

How Do the Interactive Installations Work?

The hotel’s lifts have heat sensors that detect how many people are in them. Fewer people will generate slower music and more people equals party music. Specifically if the lift senses that travelling alone, it plays songs like Elvis's "Are You Lonely Tonight?" or Eric Carmen's "All by Myself." Should another person hop on the lift, the music will adjust to different tunes, including "Just the Two of Us" by Bill Withers and "You've Got a Friend" by James Taylor. Get four people in the elevator and it's fiesta hour: everything from Prince's "1999" to Lady Gaga's "Just Dance" will get the party started. It is worth pointing out that interactive music installations can be muted. In addition to the music the lifts also feature the digital art installations of Daniel Boyd, which combine elements of indigenous Aboriginal art with the European artistic traditions.

What are the Benefits of these Interactive Installations?

The QT hotel has been able to generate a lot of publicity related to their unique lifts and anecdotal evidence indicates that some people are visiting specifically to ride in the lifts.

You can see the lifts in action ‘here’.

Dunbar and Boardman keep a watching brief on technological advances within the vertical transportation industry to better serve our clients. Dunbar and Boardman is the lift, escalator and access equipment consultancy. Do you have a current or planned project that would benefit from using an interactive installation? We would be happy to discuss any such requirements and how we may be able to assist. Give us a call on T +44 (0) 20 7739 5093 or send us an email via peterboardman@dunbarboardman.com to start the conversation. We look forward to hearing from you.