Guangzhou, China

The pioneer

Transport professionals and building owners from across the country are traveling to the city of Guangzhou, in southern China, keen to get up close and personal with the technology often credited for revolutionizing vertical mobility within high-rise buildings: Schindler’s PORT technology.

Guangzhou is the capital city of Guangdong, China’s largest province, which is home to over 120 million residents. Together with Hong Kong and Macao, Guangzhou is part of the Pearl River Delta region, the world’s most populous urban area. Throughout its history, Guangzhou has been a city of firsts. Its harbor was the first Chinese port to receive regular shipments from Europe, and for centuries the city served as China’s gateway to the rest of the world. In 2012, it ticked off another first, with the Bank of Guangzhou Square tower becoming the very first building in China to embrace Schindler’s pioneering transit management technology.

To this day, the 268-meter high-rise continues to be a showcase for our transit management system. The Bank building’s administrator Li Yingfan is enthusiastic: “The technology is ideal. The moment employees scan their badge, they are directed to the ap­pro­priate elevator.”

“Safe, rapid, and smart elevators are an essential aspect of quality of life, especially for those living and working in skyscrapers.” Schindler elevators fit these requirements to perfection. “When it comes to high-rise buildings, Schindler PORT is our most effective selling point,” says Leo Chen, who joined the company 21 years ago as an engineer and is now Regional General Manager, responsible for the operations in the three Chinese provinces of Guangdong, Guangxi, and Hainan. “This is true not only for office buildings. Demand for Schindler PORT is also increasing for residential buildings in the luxury segment.” Schindler PORT Mini uses smaller screens that can be controlled via smartphone. “This means, for example, that tenants no longer need keys, but can instead use their phones to gain access to their apartments.”

Danny Huang, Director Global Projects China Sales, based in Shenzhen, arrives in Guangzhou on a high-speed train. Shenzhen, China’s high-tech capital, is also home to the Ping An Building, a spectacular 599-meter high-rise structure, and one of many in Shenzhen featuring Schindler technology. Danny Huang, who has worked at Schindler for 20 years, explains the company’s local popularity: “Beyond technical aspects, our brand also represents safety and quality. People trust Swiss products – they have an outstanding reputation in this country.”

This outstanding reputation was also instrumental in Schindler securing the contract for one of the most prominent construction projects in Guangzhou in recent years: the skyscrapers of publicly owned Guangdong Holdings Limited, which mark a major milestone in a three-decade-long period of intense real estate development. The government designed Zhujiang New Town to be a 21st-century urban business district occupying a central area of almost 6.5 square kilometers. At its heart is a lush, verdant park flanked by skyscrapers – drawing immediate comparisons to Central Park in New York.

But the constant hum of traffic, horns, and blaring sirens so characteristic of the Big Apple is nowhere to be found in Zhujiang New Town – the place is surprisingly quiet. Most cars and scooters here operate on electricity and glide silently through the streets. But one rule still applies to both cities: the closer to the greenery you are, the more exclusive the address. Bordering the park are the imposing GDH towers, stretching to the sky. Liu Yi, Deputy General Manager for building owner GDH, explains why Schindler’s tender for this prestigious commission was accepted: “The products, technologies, solutions, and services Schindler offers to high-rise constructions have such a good reputation, and Schindler also earned points for its fair and equitable bid. But the final decision was made following a neighborly visit to the Bank of Guangzhou Square. The building owner was full of praise for the elevators, the service, and the Schindler PORT system.”

The elevator in the GDH tower travels at a speed of six meters per second. Fourth-generation Schindler PORT technology features contactless facial recognition, no need to swipe access badges.

Stepping out of the car and into the elegant sky lobby on the 31st floor, Schindler’s Large Project Manager He Weibiao looks back on this project with pride. “I oversaw construction for two and a half years. It was like watching an infant grow!”

The initial project phase was as intense as the first few months with a newborn. He Weibiao’s team installed 108 units in the two towers: 50 Schindler 9300 escalators, 12 Schindler 5500 ­elevators, and 46 premium Schindler 7000 elevators. Six of the premium models are double-­deckers. These elevators have twice the carrying capacity, and such a load demands a heavier drive. While a residential elevator drive weighs approximately one ton, a high-rise model requires a four-ton drive. Each of the drives installed for the double-­deckers weighs in at a whopping ten tons. It took half a year to prepare the lifting system for these drives and to perform the complex calculations required for smooth, safe installation and operation. Close collaboration between the main contractor, project planner, building super­visor, and building owner was the key to success. In the end, the drives were lifted by a rotating tower crane to the 34th floor for installation, a process that took three days.

“Nowhere else in China has Schindler installed such a heavy drive,” He Weibiao explains proudly, stepping over to the floor-to-ceiling windows to take in the views of the city.