CANTABRIA, SPAIN

Centro Botín

The largest panoramic lift in Europe

The Centro Botín is a major new visual arts center located in Santander, and commissioned and funded by the Botín Foundation, a philanthropic institution that was founded in Spain in 1964.

The building and its surroundings, right in the heart of the city and projecting out over the Bay of Santander, were designed by the world-famous architect, Renzo Piano. Not only does the Centro Botín offer the people of Santander and the entire region of Cantabria a wonderful gateway to the arts, but it has already become a powerful cultural magnet and an irresistable attraction in a breathtaking seaside setting for anyone visiting the city.

Renzo Piano’s studio, the building’s owners and the construction company gave us the challenging task of designing lifts with unique specifications and cutting-edge technology, especially the main lift that is possibly the largest panoramic lift in Europe.

The challenge: to design a world-beating lift system

Custom-designed lifts

The custom-designed lifts stand out for their originality, and, with their high load capacity and unique dimensions, they dazzle visitors every day. Both units are used to transport passengers and works of art, both large and small.

Custom-designed lifts

The custom-designed lifts stand out for their originality, and, with their high load capacity and unique dimensions, they dazzle visitors every day. Both units are used to transport passengers and works of art, both large and small.

The finishes are exclusive

The finishes are exclusive to this building and were selected by Renzo Piano’s studio and approved by the project manager.

The finishes are exclusive

The finishes are exclusive to this building and were selected by Renzo Piano’s studio and approved by the project manager.

All the components were designed and made to measure.

These lifts are truly unique, and there is nothing standard about them.

All the components were designed and made to measure.

All the components were designed and made to measure. These lifts are truly unique, and there is nothing standard about them.

Specific security measures

For this project we developed specially enhanced safety measures to ensure the well-being of the passengers and the works of art transported in the lift cars.

Specific security measures

For this project we developed specially enhanced safety measures to ensure the well-being of the passengers and the works of art transported in the lift cars.

Air-conditioned cabin

Temperature control and air-conditioning specifications designed to optimize equipment performance and meet specific application requirements.

Air-conditioned cabin

Temperature control and air-conditioning specifications designed to optimize equipment performance and meet specific application requirements.

Ascensor panorámico de vidrio en el Centro Botín, diseñado por IMEM

The main lift

The main elevator, whose primary function is to transport both passengers and works of art, is located along the central vertical axis of the building.

It is a machine-roomless lift with a 6500Kg/86 passenger load capacity which serves four floors and travels a distance of 20.3 metres at a speed of 1 metre/second.

The lift is equipped with the most up-to-date safety features available, such as an automatic system that holds the car at floor level during loading.

The doors have electronic safety barriers through their full height to ensure the damage-free loading and unloading of particularly large works of art.

It incorporates an automatic leveling system that keeps the car perfectly aligned with floor level during loading and unloading operations, thereby preventing any hazardous height differences.

Vista exterior del ascensor del Centro Botín integrado en la arquitectura de Renzo Piano

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The secondary lift systems

The Centre is equipped with a secondary lift system, our machine-roomless Silens Pro Mega model. It is capable of transporting loads of up to 2000Kg at a speed of 1 metre/second, and is equipped with a car that, just like the 6500Kg lift, was custom-made to complement the design of the building by Renzo Piano. The doors of this second lift are completely weatherproof, given that they open out directly onto the building’s exterior. We also installed a special lift for people with reduced mobility to ensure their easy access to all parts of the building. Finally, to round things off, there are two service lifts that are used by the Centre’s restaurant, which is under the command of Jesús Sánchez, the chef who in 2020 was awarded his third Michelin star.