OMG: The Otis Double-Decker Elevators at the Republic Plaza!!!!

OMG, I cannot believe I got this! I AM SO STOKED! I had heard that this building was secured and therefore I was under the impression that you would have to pass through those turnstiles in order to access the elevators. Either that or you would have to have card access. Well today as I was leaving the nearby Starbucks, I was curious as to see if I could get in... and I did. The lobby has a bank as it has for as long as I can remember. I walked through the lobby on the bank side and over to the elevators serving the highest floors, that being 55. There were no turnstiles to walk through, nothing. Ok so I pushed the button and the elevator came. Once in I pushed "53" and then got out my camera after making sure there was no "Big Brother". I got it! I got it! I got it! In order to get to floor 55, you have to transfer on 53.

The Republic Plaza was built in 1984 and stands a proud 714 feet. Now wait a minute, 55 floors = 550 feet! If memory serves me, I saw the service elevator back in the 1990s and saw that it served 58 floors! Ok 58 floors = 580 feet! Ok the lobby is actually 3 stories high. Ok that is 61 stories or 610 feet. Hmmmm 714 feet is 71 stories. Maybe the floors are all taller. Anyway, this building is the tallest in Denver and the 109th tallest in the USA. It also boast 28 elevators. I think it actually has 14 actual elevator cars but each elevator is a DOUBLE-DECKER. That's right, I rode my first Double Decker elevator right here in Denver, Colorado!!!! Nevermind that I am from the Bay Area and rode damn near every elevator in San Francisco! It was not until I came to this Cow Town (haha) in 1990 that I would ride my first Double Decker elevator!!!! My second DD elevator was the Sears Tower.

I was in this building back in 1990 when I first arrived in Denver and I rode these elevator in their pre-modernized state. Back then they had dark wood walls, plain floors vinyl tiles and about 12 recessed "spotlights". The cars were dimly lit. I went all the way to the top and got a gorgeous panoramic view before the receptionist asked if I needed something. I asked if they had any job openings.

I again was in this building in 2000 when I worked for a cafe that did deliveries. The people ordering were on the 55th floor. It was in 2000 that these elevators were about to be modernized but still sporting their original decor as in 1990. In the lobby there was a model of the actual car's interior in actual scale that you could step into it and view it all the way around, including the new button fixtures. The car looked as it now does in the video.

I did some research for this building and found that the elevators are Otis. I was thinking they were Otis and furthermore, Otis Gen 2 because of the buttons (help me out GeorgeF551). Surprisingly, these are not those Elevonics - the types where you make your selection in the lobby and are assigned a car. That is probably not too far off for this building.

Back in 2009, Musicfreakcc was requesting I film this elevator but I was under the impression that the building was secured. To my surprise, this was not the case and even the floors were not locked off! I am considering this a rare occasion as I may not be so lucky if I try again. Enjoy.

Category:

Science & Technology

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• Republic Plaza in Denver
• Otis
• Traction Elevators
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• エレベーター
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• Лифт
• 엘리베이터
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• Otis Elevator Company
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[ANDREWWALLFORD123]

Shock Me! Is Look like Galaxy Express Lift in the air!

[NEXPAR]

@ANDREWWALLFORD123 Do you have any videos for the Galaxy Express or know where I can find one? I tried a search but all I found was something about a ski-lift, or a Japanese cartoon about a train that can fly and go into outer space.

[ATITANIC1992]

I thought double decker lifts meant elevator with 2 floors with a small ladder/stair between the floors inside the elevator

Also turnstiles and id-card-requirement sucks. Turnstile acces are not here in Scandinavia, thank god for that. I only saw one in Oslo to my big dissapointment.

Turnstiles should be totaly banned. Just wait and see when a lot of people gets killed in a building or underground station because they can not escape fast enough. It's really bad

Did you film elevators in the 90s?

[NEXPAR]

@ATITANIC1992 It's funny that you thought of double-decker elevators like that because when I was little I drew a picture of a city and one of the buildings had a glass elevator showing a stick figure climbing a ladder to the upper deck. This was back in 1975. Yes turnstile access sucks but unfortunately it's probably the way things are going to be in a lot of big cities. Hopefully it won't be a hazard, most modern buildings have sprinklers to control fires and people will use the stairs.

[NEXPAR]

Barring another 911-style disaster, I think these buildings are pretty much safe. Check out the high rise in Dubai, if there is a fire, that building has special fire-resistant rooms because it would be nearly impossible to get out of that building in a hurry.

I did not film elevators in the 90's. See YouTube member DieselDucy, his first elevator-filming was in 1993. The concept never occurred to me until until YouTube came around.

[georgef551]

Actually, most floors in office buildings are 12 feet apart on average. The 10 feet is the height from floor, to typical drop-ceiling height.

CONGRATS on the 2-decker! No time to go ride the other half, huh? :)

[NEXPAR]

@georgef551 So would you say this is an Otis Gen II? I have guesstimeated it as such by the buttons which are on other videos of Otis Gen II elevators.

[Balarick]

@PinePowerLI we should all look for elevators like this.

what is the alert message at the beginning?

[PinePowerLI]

Beautiful! So cool you got in there and got a chance to film these beautiful elevators.

[ANDREWWALLFORD123]

@NEXPAR Yeah really I have my uncle old ones video camera to visiting japan in 17 years ago been visiting japan biggest city. Now unfortunately, they've been video has distory! I know that vision my uncle visiting Toyko (Japan) before. But I haven't visiting japan before anyway. Now I'm very interesting on internet view in Japan Tourist visiting place at the moment. I very first time bigest city and what a so crazy for tallest of the towers!!! Is really so amazing in the city!

[LittleRockElevators]

nice elevator.

[georgef551]

@NEXPAR

No. (I think.)

I believe Gen2's were created in the mid/late 1990's.