2fatcats Posted January 14, 2007 Share Posted January 14, 2007 Elevators have always fascinated me. I am interested in the way they work, how their designs have changed and I see them as more than just a conveyance to get you up in the building. They can be everything from a social hub, to a work of art to a deathtrap. I am in and out of a lot of buildings during the day for my work and ride a lot of elevators. I find they are all different from building to building but some of my personal favorites are:715 Main..........Great Art Deco designs on the doors700 Louisiana....Very nice exotic woods displayed in the elevator cabsWilliams Tower..Rare marbles showcased in their elevator cabs600 Travis........One of the fastest elevators in town, the express up to 60 is quite a ride.BMC Software Bldg3 2100 CityWest...the only elevator I have ever been in with cowhides covering the wall.4400 Post Oak...the slowest elevator in townIts also interesting how elevator design has changed, such as, since the buildings got taller, you will find the elevators only go to certain levels and then you change banks to go higher. I read some articles recently on elevator safety and found that Houston does not have a lot of ordinances in place concerning this. They do inspections but not as frequently as they should and even though there have been some elevator related deaths in the city, the city doesn't seem too interested in being more methodical about those inspections. Personally I have seen a lot of malfunctioning elevators in Houston and had the misfortune to be on one a few times so this is something I think the city needs to address. At any rate, elevators are still interesting and I for one am glad for their existance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subdude Posted January 14, 2007 Share Posted January 14, 2007 Pennzoil elevators have a kind of rough copper surface. Someone told me they were from some a mining subsidiary of a company that was in the building, but I have no idea if that is true. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gonzo1976 Posted January 14, 2007 Share Posted January 14, 2007 I used to operate the elevators at Jones Hall. There are three elevators (as far as I know). Of those, only two are accessible to the public.Anyway, the main elevator in the lobby is sooo sloooooow. Patrons would complain about how slow it is. I read a document once that said if anyone complained, we were supposed to tell them that it moves slowly so patrons can enjoy the view of the lobby. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
musicman Posted January 14, 2007 Share Posted January 14, 2007 Elevators have always fascinated me. I am interested in the way they work, how their designs have changed and I see them as more than just a conveyance to get you up in the building. They can be everything from a social hub, to a work of art to a deathtrap.I remember being stuck in an elevator in the Hogg Building back when the city leased space. The elevator was fairly packed and of course the emergency phone didn't work. We were there about 45 mins and finally the doors were pryed open so we could get out. We had to step up about 18" as well. So this still makes me think deathtrap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2fatcats Posted January 14, 2007 Author Share Posted January 14, 2007 I remember being stuck in an elevator in the Hogg Building back when the city leased space. The elevator was fairly packed and of course the emergency phone didn't work. We were there about 45 mins and finally the doors were pryed open so we could get out. We had to step up about 18" as well. So this still makes me think deathtrap.<<musicmanThat sounds like what happened recently at the Woodway condo building where that man fell 12 stories. The elevator had stopped between floors and there was a step (up or down, not sure which) there also. The only time I have been really scared in an elevator was in Allen Center some years back. We were going up to 30 and heard this sound like a bunch of pipes falling through the shaft, then the cab jerked to a stop between floors. It hung there a few minutes and then moved on up to the next floor and you can bet myself and the two guys I was on there with all bailed off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2fatcats Posted January 14, 2007 Author Share Posted January 14, 2007 Pennzoil elevators have a kind of rough copper surface. Someone told me they were from some a mining subsidiary of a company that was in the building, but I have no idea if that is true.<<SubdudeI have always wondered what kind of material that was as it is different from what you usually see in elevators. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jm1fd Posted January 14, 2007 Share Posted January 14, 2007 I'd like to add one to the list....Tiniest elevator in the city....8707 Katy FreewayIt will hold 4 skinny people, max Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
houstonfella Posted January 15, 2007 Share Posted January 15, 2007 Pennzoil elevators have a kind of rough copper surface. Someone told me they were from some a mining subsidiary of a company that was in the building, but I have no idea if that is true.<<SubdudeI have always wondered what kind of material that was as it is different from what you usually see in elevators. And that rough copper surface in Pennzoil's elevators rips clothes to shreds. I always tell new employees: be very careful in the elevators or lose that Talbots sweater in seconds. The round elevators in Pennzoil were replaced with a cool new surface, and I've heard that is going to happen with the high rise elevators there. I'm hopin'. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MidtownCoog Posted January 15, 2007 Share Posted January 15, 2007 Unfortunatly BMC got rid of the cowhide a little over a year ago. The old timers felt like a part of their past was taken away. I also nominate 1100 McKinney. It's on the National Register. Really cool 1940s etchings on the elevators and doors. - the little bees are too cool. Do the bees represent being "busy as a bee or efficiency"? Somebody need to bring back cool design with a touch of symbolism. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heights2Bastrop Posted January 15, 2007 Share Posted January 15, 2007 I used to word at Gulf Oil, and I always loved the elevators there. The bank lobby was wonderful, too. I also loved the elevators at the Esperson Building. Not sure which one, but the entrance was on Main Street. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parrothead Posted January 15, 2007 Share Posted January 15, 2007 Boy, I thought we were talking about something com-pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeetely different and here I was coming to give my two cents.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heights2Bastrop Posted January 15, 2007 Share Posted January 15, 2007 Here I am bursting with a reply about elevator direction, and I have to stifle it.Durn censors! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheNiche Posted January 15, 2007 Share Posted January 15, 2007 Boy, I thought we were talking about something com-pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeetely different and here I was coming to give my two cents.... Yeah, the title of the thread is more than a little misleading. It'd be a good name for an 80's hair metal album. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ricco67 Posted January 15, 2007 Share Posted January 15, 2007 Boy, I thought we were talking about something com-pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeetely different and here I was coming to give my two cents.... Here I am bursting with a reply about elevator direction, and I have to stifle it.Durn censors! Yeah, the title of the thread is more than a little misleading. It'd be a good name for an 80's hair metal album. Gee. Parrothead got me curious as to what she was going to type. I was going to give my two cents as well until I actually read the thread. I had to fight off elevator love jokes in my head. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2fatcats Posted January 19, 2007 Author Share Posted January 19, 2007 I was going to give my two cents as well until I actually read the thread. I had to fight off elevator love jokes in my head.<<Ricco67Funny how that subject title just popped into my head. Ah well, it's just a result of too many years of posting on message boards I suppose. LOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westguy Posted January 19, 2007 Share Posted January 19, 2007 I can't get the song "Love in an Elevator" out of my head now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gto250us Posted January 19, 2007 Share Posted January 19, 2007 Gee, I was hoping that this was a discussion about getting schtuped in an elevator Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheNiche Posted January 19, 2007 Share Posted January 19, 2007 Gee, I was hoping that this was a discussion about getting schtuped in an elevator Schtuped? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sevfiv Posted January 19, 2007 Share Posted January 19, 2007 http://dictionary.reference.com/search?r=2&q=schtupped yay for yiddish Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subdude Posted January 20, 2007 Share Posted January 20, 2007 Elevators have always fascinated me. I am interested in the way they work, how their designs have changed and I see them as more than just a conveyance to get you up in the building. They can be everything from a social hub, to a work of art to a deathtrap. I am in and out of a lot of buildings during the day for my work and ride a lot of elevators. I find they are all different from building to building but some of my personal favorites are:715 Main..........Great Art Deco designs on the doors700 Louisiana....Very nice exotic woods displayed in the elevator cabsWilliams Tower..Rare marbles showcased in their elevator cabs600 Travis........One of the fastest elevators in town, the express up to 60 is quite a ride.BMC Software Bldg3 2100 CityWest...the only elevator I have ever been in with cowhides covering the wall.4400 Post Oak...the slowest elevator in townIts also interesting how elevator design has changed, such as, since the buildings got taller, you will find the elevators only go to certain levels and then you change banks to go higher. I read some articles recently on elevator safety and found that Houston does not have a lot of ordinances in place concerning this. They do inspections but not as frequently as they should and even though there have been some elevator related deaths in the city, the city doesn't seem too interested in being more methodical about those inspections. Personally I have seen a lot of malfunctioning elevators in Houston and had the misfortune to be on one a few times so this is something I think the city needs to address. At any rate, elevators are still interesting and I for one am glad for their existance.Back to the topic, some of the best elevators in Houston are at the Hyatt Regency, both the interior ones overlooking the lobby, or the exterior one that goes to the Spindletop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jm1fd Posted January 20, 2007 Share Posted January 20, 2007 Schtuped? Oy vey. He doesn't know what schtupping is. And to think he almost had us fooled into believing he was smart. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parrothead Posted January 20, 2007 Share Posted January 20, 2007 I love that word! I thought I was the only one under the age of 40 that uses it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2fatcats Posted January 21, 2007 Author Share Posted January 21, 2007 Back to the topic, some of the best elevators in Houston are at the Hyatt Regency, both the interior ones overlooking the lobby, or the exterior one that goes to the Spindletop.<<SubdudeWhich brings to mind the question, do you feel less comfortable in a glass elevator as opposed to an enclosed one? I also wonder if there are any really old elevators left in Houston, the kind with the metal cage-like doors that are still in working condition. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subdude Posted January 21, 2007 Share Posted January 21, 2007 No, I kind of like the glass ones. There was another glass elevator at the Warwick Hotel. I've never seen any of those cage-like ones. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2fatcats Posted January 21, 2007 Author Share Posted January 21, 2007 No, I kind of like the glass ones. There was another glass elevator at the Warwick Hotel. I've never seen any of those cage-like ones.<<Subdude There is also a small glass fronted one at 1001 West Loop South which on the backside of the building gives you a great view of Memorial Park and the bayou, plus downtown in the distance. I've always been fond of a view. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vertigo58 Posted February 26, 2007 Share Posted February 26, 2007 No, I kind of like the glass ones. There was another glass elevator at the Warwick Hotel. I've never seen any of those cage-like ones. I agree, always have enjoyed glass elevators any day. We used to ride those elevators at the Hyatt downtown for the fun of it as kids. Once at the Spindletop you could see all the way to the Astrodome and see the great Southwest sunset's! I am sure most of it is now blocked partially if not all. The best part was when we pressed the button to go down we all would jump in mid air. We became like astronaughts floating in space! Just an FYI, the Hyatt Hotel was used as a model/prototype for the old 70's disaster epic-The Towering Inferno. The scene where the glass elevator meets an explosion and tilts dropping some to the terrified occupants still gives me the creeps. As a matter of fact that particular Hyatt on Lousiana has been the scene of several suicides over the years. I know once a man jumped over the side and the impact made several bricks smash the glass on one of those elevators. Quite sad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vertigo58 Posted February 26, 2007 Share Posted February 26, 2007 And that rough copper surface in Pennzoil's elevators rips clothes to shreds. I always tell new employees: be very careful in the elevators or lose that Talbots sweater in seconds. The round elevators in Pennzoil were replaced with a cool new surface, and I've heard that is going to happen with the high rise elevators there. I'm hopin'. After working there for 13 years I learned the hard way too. The material snags just about everything. It also catches long hair, ouch! Once our power went out and we had to walk down 16 flights. We learned to appreciate elevators quick! On a seperate note: I love elevator music, since childhood. I just dont understand why people have to knock it. It was placed there to let riders feel relaxed and maybe something to hum to. Maybe I can start a website? No, I am sure there must be some already. No, I kind of like the glass ones. There was another glass elevator at the Warwick Hotel. I've never seen any of those cage-like ones. I think the last caged elevator I was in was near downtown LA. You had to pull the gate closed before taking off to your level. Quite creepy, but thats the way they were many moons ago. If you gaze down you can see the whole elevator shaft, cables rattling & Vertgo! Yikes! I thought it was cool to see someone sitting on a stool asking "What floor please". The attendant would press the buttons for you while calling out the departments to other riders. Wont see that anymore. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tmariar Posted March 12, 2007 Share Posted March 12, 2007 I also wonder if there are any really old elevators left in Houston, the kind with the metal cage-like doors that are still in working condition.The Beaconsfield Apartments building downtown had a cage elevator when I last visited, about 5-7 years ago. They also had a full-time elevator operator to run it. It is/was apparently about 100 years old. However, it appears that the elevator has since been renovated, or is about to be, based on this 7/10/06 press release. Quoting from it:The Beaconsfield features two elevators both installed in circa 1900 making them approximately 100 years old. While the freight elevator has gone through a partial modernization, the passenger elevator still boasts all the original American-made Otis equipment. With the modernization of this historic and beautiful equipment, another chapter in elevator history is closing however; a new chapter in elevator technology is being advanced.Sadly, in 2000, a worker in the building died after falling down the freight elevator shaft, as discussed in this 10/9/03 Houston Press article. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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