schindler elevates the seconds of transit into a cohesive architectural journey

SCHINDLER RESHAPES THE ELEVATOR EXPERIENCE

Shifting from pure performance to experiential engineering, Schindler reimagines vertical mobility as an extension that integrates into a building’s architectural concept. This vision takes shape through five elevator design themes offering material honesty, dynamic lighting, and integrated media to transform the daily transit into an immersive experience. In an interview with designboom, the Chief Technology Officer at Schindler Group, Donato Carparelli, shares insights into how elevators can transcend their mechanical function to become an integral part of the built environment and engage the senses of those who move through it.

‘With this range, we’re truly transforming the elevator experience. The materials, colors, and overall aesthetics are designed to merge style with innovation. Giving designers the tools they need to realize their creative ideas with flexibility and convenience, ensuring every elevator ride is a source of inspiration,’ begins Donato Carparelli, Chief Technology Officer at Schindler Group.

Schindler’s contemporary elevator interiors | all visualizations courtesy of Schindler

VERTICAL MOBILITY DESIGN SOLUTIONS FOR OPTIMIZED USER COMFORT

Schindler engineers, installs, and modernizes vertical mobility solutions for a wide range of buildings across the globe. Founded in 1874, the Swiss company specializes in cutting-edge technology, alongside mechanical products designed and rigorously tested for optimal user comfort, reliability and adaptation to the space from the initial stages of planning.

According to the CTO ‘By factoring the elevator from the outset into decisions regarding materials, lighting, and design proportions, you take a much more cohesive approach. Ultimately, when architects, industrial designers, and engineers collaborate closely, an elevator becomes a natural extension of the building’s design and ethos,’ explains Donato Carparelli.

Schindler’s elevator interiors transform the daily transit of passengers into an atmospheric experience

Driven by the belief that design transcends cultural boundaries, Schindler’s manufacturing workflow integrates consultations with regional teams to ensure that each design theme remains grounded in local contexts and site-specific architecture. Through a high level of customization options focused on design consistency, Schindler’s range of vertical mobility solutions features a minimalist design and enduring materials to create interiors with lasting quality.

‘The result is what we call the Schindler design language – global in perspective, but with the flexibility to be locally tailored wherever it’s applied,’ states Donato Carparelli.

Schindler’s elevators are transformed into an active architectural landmark

ELEVATORS AS ARCHITECTURAL ELEMENTS iN THEIR OWN right

Curated for diverse use settings and architectural typologies such as mixed-use buildings and offices to premium hotels and residential buildings, Schindler Designs unfold across five themes: natural nuances, tone on tone, architectural elegance, accent color, and digital spaces. Each one of these themes follows a clear, expressive palette of materials, finishes, and user interfaces, while remaining robust, sustainable, and future-proof.

‘Our guiding principles are clear: focus on the user and integrate the elevator into the overall building to create a holistic passenger experience. We curated these five themes to help architects shape mood and identity – with a modular approach that allows for flexibility and personalization while ensuring coherence across our solutions, explains Carparelli.

designed and rigorously tested for optimal user comfort and reliability

To streamline the specification process, an interactive online visual configurator allows users to experiment with different concepts, analyze material pairings, and customize the elevator’s interior in real time. This digital tool simplifies the process of incorporating an elevator into a building’s overall vision, aligning precisely with the existing architecture, material palette, and spatial ambiance.

‘Elevators today are spatial and architectural elements in their own right. The question we ask is no longer simply if the elevator works, but whether it contributes to the environment people move through – and if it does so in a way they actually notice,’ he comments.

proportions, colors, and tactile finishes create interiors with lasting, classic quality

Schindler also offers pre-engineered modular configurations with individual components that can be updated or replaced independently, allowing elevator interiors in both new and existing shafts to adapt over time, without compromising performance. Whether enhancing the aesthetic appeal of a modern skyscraper or adding a touch of sophistication to a historic building, through Schindler’s interior options designers are able to bring their vision to life with new levels of creativity.

‘Instead of focusing solely on single elevator trips, we’re creating journeys that blend with the architecture and daily routines. Our goal is to look at entire buildings and consider how people enter, navigate, and experience spaces throughout their day, while still keeping elevators central to our approach,‘ Donato concludes.

destination control technology generates a new intelligence around how people move through elevators