Magnetic Levitation: A New Era of Elevators

Elevators have played a crucial role in shaping modern cities, making it possible for buildings to grow vertically and revolutionizing architectural design. Without elevators, the towering skyscrapers, multi-story office buildings, and residential complexes we rely on today simply wouldn’t exist.

Yet, since Elisha Otis introduced the first safety elevator in 1852, the basic design of elevators has remained largely unchanged. Traditional elevators rely on motor-driven cables and counterweights, which create significant limitations: a height cap of around 600 meters, major space consumption (elevator shafts can take up a large portion of a building’s floor area), and design constraints, since buildings often need to be planned around the elevator core.

To overcome these challenges, German engineering giant ThyssenKrupp introduced the MULTI system in 2017—the world’s first cable-free elevator powered by magnetic levitation (Maglev) technology. This is the same technology used in Japan’s Shinkansen bullet trains, enabling high-speed, low-noise, and low-friction movement.

Unlike conventional elevators that only move up and down, MULTI elevators can also travel horizontally and diagonally, completely reimagining how we move inside buildings. Instead of cables, cabins are propelled by linear motors along tracks embedded with magnetic coils that generate movement through controlled magnetic fields.

The MULTI design gives architects unprecedented freedom: elevator shafts no longer have to be confined to the building’s core—they can curve, extend horizontally, or connect different areas of a structure. With elevator shafts that are 25% smaller, buildings can reclaim valuable floor space for commercial or residential use.

Another breakthrough is that multiple cabins can operate independently within the same shaft, similar to how subway systems function. This drastically reduces waiting times and boosts passenger capacity by up to 50%, all while maintaining safety and efficiency.

MULTI’s entire system is managed via wireless data communication and intelligent algorithms, allowing real-time traffic optimization—essential for high-demand environments like business centers, airports, and hospitals.

To prove the reliability and safety of this groundbreaking technology, ThyssenKrupp constructed a 246-meter test tower in Rottweil, Germany—one of the tallest elevator testing structures in the world. Years of extensive testing have demonstrated MULTI’s performance under both emergency scenarios and long-term operation, confirming that the system is ready for real-world deployment.

While Maglev technology is significantly more expensive upfront—up to 30 times the cost of traditional elevators—the long-term benefits are compelling. Reduced energy consumption, reclaimed floor space, and vastly improved passenger flow make it a strategic investment for forward-thinking developers and building owners.

As cities grow taller and smarter, the demand for innovative, space-efficient, and high-capacity transportation within buildings will only increase. In this context, systems like MULTI are not just futuristic novelties—they’re an inevitable part of the future.