Otis has received an official Guinness World Records certificate in the “Highest elevator in a building” category after installing two SkyRise lifts at a height of 597.2 meters in China’s Tianjin 117 skyscraper, the company announced. The project is scheduled for completion by the end of 2027, with Otis serving as the sole supplier of elevators and escalators for the tower and providing 266 units in total, including special engineering and installation services for record-height operation.
Key Takeaways: The two Otis SkyRise elevators are installed at 597.2 meters inside Tianjin 117, earning official Guinness certification for the highest elevator in a building. Otis supplied 266 elevator and escalator units for the project, which is expected to be completed by late 2027. The tower is also expected to set a Chinese record for the highest occupied floor and a global benchmark for elevator height.
The record reflects intensifying competition in vertical urbanism, as supertall buildings require lift systems that can travel farther, faster and more safely than conventional equipment. Tianjin 117 is one of China’s most closely watched supertall projects, and its lift infrastructure is central to how the building will operate for residents, workers and visitors. The Council on Vertical Urbanism had already confirmed that the Tianjin 117 lifts would become the world’s highest, and Guinness World Records later formally recorded the result, according to the announcement.
The SkyRise system combines high-precision engineering with intelligent communication systems to move passengers smoothly and reliably to the skyscraper’s observation deck. The cabins are sound-insulated and aerodynamically shaped; Otis used computational hydrodynamics and wind-tunnel testing to reduce noise from airflows and soften pressure changes during high-speed travel. Winch mechanisms, control systems and high-strength steel ropes are designed to carry heavy loads with precision at speeds typical of supertall buildings.
Otis says its ReGen regenerative technology returns energy generated during braking to the building’s electrical network, improving efficiency. Intelligent systems monitor equipment in real time, manage passenger flows and support predictive maintenance based on data analysis, helping maintain optimal performance and reduce downtime. These features matter in a tower where lift reliability is essential to daily operations and to the experience of visitors heading to the observation deck.
The Guinness certification adds another engineering milestone to Tianjin 117, whose completion is planned for the end of 2027. Otis’s role as sole supplier for the tower’s vertical-transport system highlights the growing technical demands of supertall construction in China and globally. Further attention will focus on final installation, testing and commissioning as the project moves toward completion, with the record expected to remain a benchmark for elevator engineering in high-rise buildings.
Source: kun.uz