thyssenkrupp Delivery Robot Makes U.S. Debut

Elevator World

INVESTMENT FUELS U.K.-BASED COMPANY’S GROWTH A GBP6.4-million (US$9-million) investment from U.K.'s Business Growth Fund (BGF) promises to fuel Halifax, U.K.-based Northern Escalator Installations' further expansion in the U.K. and Europe, Business Quarter reports. The specialty engineering firm has 85 employees, and recent projects include installations at Anfield football stadium in Liverpool and London Paddington Station. Realizing revenue of more than GBP12 million (US$16.8 million) in 2017, Northern Escalator Installations now has offices in Germany and Sweden. As part of the investment, Stuart Black joins the company as non-executive chair and Gareth Judson as operations director of the board. Northern Escalator Installations founder Kevin Johnson said BGF's investment "will allow us to press forward with our growth plans, while retaining control of the business." THYSSENKRUPP DELIVERY ROBOT MAKES U.S. DEBUT thyssenkrupp Elevator and software developer TeleRetail GmbH debuted their driverless delivery robot for elevator maintenance in the U.S. on January 24 at the Washington Auto Show in Washington, D.C. The technology was presented as a benchmark product at the "Driving Automotive Innovation and Federal Policies" field hearing of the U.S. Senate, convened by Sen. John Thune (R-South Dakota). thyssenkrupp and TeleRetail believe the cloud-based, driverless systems would help get spare elevator parts from warehouses to technicians faster, which will be increasingly important as urbanization challenges mount. DESIGN WINNER FOR OSLO CENTRAL RAIL STATION PROJECT A team led by Reiulf Ramstad Arkitekter has won an international design competition for redevelopment of the Central Rail Station in Oslo, Norway, for its Nordic Light plan, which includes a mixed-use tower that looks to be approximately 25 stories tall, ArchDaily reports. The jury, which chose Northern Light unanimously over submissions from firms such as Bjarke Ingels Group, praised the greenery-filled, glass-and-timber structure for “best responding to the site and . . . its dedication to sustainable architecture.” Aiming for an “Excellent” rating from BREEAM®, Nordic light includes restoration and enhancement of the protected, historic portion of the rail station. STRIKING BIG-DESIGNED TOWERS TAKING SHAPE IN NYC’S CHELSEA The Eleventh, a pair of striking, twisting towers designed by Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG), is making its presence known in the West Chelsea neighborhood of New York City (NYC), New York YIMBY reports. Connected by a base housing 181,893 sq. ft. of commercial space, a hotel tower will rise 25 stories and 302 ft., and a residential tower will rise 35 floors and 402 ft. The 137-room hotel will be the first in the U.S. for Bangkok-based Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas. The residential tower will house 240 units. HFZ Capital is the developer of the project, the concrete base of which is now visible, at 76 11th Avenue. Completion is anticipated in 2019. RENDERINGS PROVIDE LATEST LOOK AT CHICAGO’S WOLF POINT Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects has released new renderings of Wolf Point, the three-tower megadevelopment at the confluence of the Chicago River's main, north and south branches, in downtown Chicago, Curbed Chicago reports. They provide a good look at the third, final and tallest phase, a glittering glass tower that will stand approximately 950 ft. — just short of supertall status. It will sit between the 48-story west apartment tower, completed in 2016, and the under-construction, 60-story east apartment tower, which is looking at a late 2019 completion. Previously described as an office building, the third tower could now include a hotel and residential component. Image courtesy thyssenkrupp-elevator.com: http://www.thyssenkrupp-elevator.com/en/press/press-releases-76800.html Subscribe to the Podcast: iTunes?Google Play | SoundCloud?Stitcher?TuneIn