Otis Elevators (1950s-1970s)
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YouTube videos available A blue colored text on a "Known installations in Indonesia" list indicates YouTube video link of the elevator(s) from the listed location. A striked location name means that the elevator(s) in that particular location is no longer exist. |
This article is about 1950s-1970s Otis elevators in Indonesia.
Overview
Otis elevators that were produced between the 1950s and 1970s had no known model names, and were available in traction (geared or gearless) and hydraulic type. It is believed that these elevators were manufactured in the United States, while a small portion were also produced at Otis's foreign factories such as United Kingdom, France and Japan.
It is unknown which company that had imported and installed Otis elevators in the 1950s. Between 1960 and 1964, Otis elevators were distributed by Pembangunan Perumahan (a state owned enterprise), and continued by Citas Engineering since 1964. At that time, they were mainly installed in office buildings and luxury hotels. Nowadays it is extremely difficult to find them as almost all of them have either been replaced or removed, while a few surviving ones have been modernized. Only one place has been confirmed having two derelict 1950s Otis elevators.
Passenger elevators
These low to medium speed elevators had geared motors and were mostly powered by two speed alternative current (AC) drives. Typically these elevators would reduced their speed while approaching a floor before stopping, hence the two speed acceleration. There were also elevators with direct current (DC) drives which were mostly used in large and high rise buildings. DC driven elevators were powered by motor generator (MG) sets, and they typically have faster, smoother and more accurate leveling approach without having to switch to a slower speed before stopping. In this case, the door would open even before the elevator stops. However, these motor generators have a disadvantage of consuming a large amount of electricity and as the result most DC driven elevators with MG sets have been gradually replaced with more energy efficient variable frequency (VF) driven elevators. There are currently no known model names for these elevators.
As with most elevators produced at that time, the controllers were mechanical relays. The controllers used in British made Otis elevators were called UCL.
Fixtures
Most 1950s-1970s low to medium speed Otis elevators used round black buttons with white markings. These buttons, having been used by Otis since at least the 1940s, are very simple and have no illumination so it's difficult to tell if a floor has been registered or not. They were usually arranged in two rows regardless of amount of floors. The landing call stations had illuminating arrows, but some panels don't.
Call station for terminal floor.
The same call station, with illuminated arrow.
Typical 1950s-1970s Otis call station for intermediate floors.
Typical 1950s-1970s Otis car station with black buttons.
Closer look of the Otis black buttons.
A side view of the same buttons.
Old speaker. Above it is an old elevator operating instruction from Citas Engineering.
Old elevator operating instruction from Citas Engineering, the former distributor of Otis in Indonesia.
The floor indicators are long metal sheets with illuminating numbers and often arrows. Landing floor indicators were either mounted above the door, or integrated with the call button panel. Some overhead landing floor indicators have lanterns. Hall lanterns, if any, were shaped like arrows and light up orange.
A non-functional Otis car floor indicator.
Typical 1950s-1970s Otis car floor indicator.
Hall lanterns
Hall lanterns, with the down lantern lights up.
Known installations in Indonesia
Jakarta
- CTC Building (1958, two derelict elevators in the front building)[1]
Press House (later Asoka Hotel)(1962-19??, building demolished in 1985)[4]
Women's Village (later Hotel Hasta)(1962-19??, building demolished in 1990)[5]
- Sentra Mandiri (formerly Bapindo Building), Menteng (1960, replaced into unknown elevators)[3]
- Bank Indonesia (1962, replaced into unknown elevators)[3]
Menara Taspen (formerly Arthaloka Building)(1976-2018, building demolished in the early 2020s)[6]
- Grand Sahid Jaya Hotel (1974, one derelict service elevator in the old tower)
Carolus Hospital - Semar Building(1977-2010s, modernized by Otis, later replaced into Mitsubishi elevators)
- Pullman Jakarta Thamrin (formerly Grand Nikko Jakarta) (1971)[8]
- Gatot Subroto Navy Hospital (1970s, two derelict elevators can be found in one of the buildings)
- Prince Center (modernized by Otis)
Other cities/provinces
Hyatt Regency Sanur, Bali(1973-2010s, replaced into Schindler 5400 AP elevators)
A derelict 1970s Otis service elevator in the old tower of Grand Sahid Jaya Hotel in Jakarta.
The same elevator, on a different floor.
Derelict 1970s Otis elevator in Gatot Subroto Navy Hospital, Jakarta. This is believed to be a bed elevator.
Another derelict 1970s Otis elevator in Gatot Subroto Navy Hospital, Jakarta.
Videos
High speed elevators
These elevators had higher speeds and DC gearless motors with motor generator sets. The controllers were mechanical relays with group control capability. Very little is known about them.
The model name for standard high speed elevators is speculated to be VIP 260, but this is currently unverified due to lack of proper evidences and documentations.
In 1979, Otis launched the company's first microprocessor controlled high speed elevator model Elevonic 101. It is unknown if the model had ever been installed in Indonesia.
In Indonesia, high speed elevators were mainly installed in high rise office buildings and luxury hotels in Jakarta completed in the 1970s. All of them are now extinct and cannot be found anymore.
Fixtures
Most of these high speed elevators used square or round touch sensitive buttons that worked with vacuum tubes, first introduced by Otis in 1948. The floor indicators were the same as the standard low to medium speed elevators, with illuminating numbers and arrows on a long steel panel.
Known installations in Indonesia
Wisma Nusantara, Jakarta(1972-19??, replaced into Mitsubishi NexWay in the early 2010s)Kosgoro Building, Jakarta(1974-1990s, building demolished in the early 2020s)Menara Taspen, Jakarta(1976-1990s, building demolished in the early 2020s)[9]- Hotel Borobudur, Jakarta (1974-1996)[10]
- Grand Sahid Jaya Hotel, Jakarta (1974-1990s)[11]
The Sultan Hotel, Jakarta(1976-1990s, replaced into Kone elevators)[12]
Japanese Otis elevators
Apart from American Otis elevators, Citas Engineering had also imported and installed very small number of Japanese Otis elevators in Indonesia. These elevators were very similar to the American made ones except for the design and a few features.
Known Japan made Otis elevator models at that time were Readymade (RM) (a standard traction passenger model released in 1966), Modeling (a less expensive passenger model released in 1969), and Dargent (released in 1972).
Fixtures
Japanese Otis elevators used either the standard Otis black buttons or smaller white illuminating buttons. The floor indicators were the same as the American Otis elevators, with illuminating numbers and arrows on a long metal plate. Some models might have a completely different fixtures set.
Overhead landing floor indicator, with different number typeface.
Call station
Car station featuring the standard Otis black buttons.
Car floor indicator.
Direction indicator on the rear car wall.
Known installations in Indonesia
As of May 2024, only two places have been confirmed to have Japanese Otis elevators:
- Hotel Metropole, Jakarta (1969, derelict)
- Inna Samudera Beach Hotel, Sukabumi (1966)[13]
Low cost French Otis elevators
These are low cost, small sized two speed AC driven passenger elevators designed for low rise apartment and office buildings. They were manufactured in France and so far have no known model names.
These elevators are basic and small to meet with the residential building requirements. The landing doors are painted steel with a wide door frame that spans the entire shaft length. The car interior features a single color walls with a tray light on the back wall. Despite having full automatic doors, these elevators do not even have a door open button for reopening the doors whilst closing.
Fixtures
These elevators use the standard Otis black buttons inside, with the buttons arranged in a single row. The call buttons were round white plastic that lights up entirely when pressed. The floor indicators were a set of small illuminating circles with printed numbers.
Known installations in Indonesia
The only known low cost French Otis elevators in Indonesia were installed at Wisma Fajar, a set of two blocks of flats located near the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium in Jakarta completed in the mid 1970s[14].. They were removed (and presumably replaced) in 2018 when the blocks were renovated.
Notes and references
- ↑ Gedung Tua di Senen Jakarta | Abandoned Building - YouTube
- ↑ Originally installed in the early 1960s and probably replaced in the 1980s. The latest replacement was done in 2008 by Otis.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Urip Yustono (1989). "Sistem "Sky Lobby" mengoptimalkan pemakaian lift". Konstruksi magazine, October 1989, Page 76. (PDF available in Indonesian)
- ↑ Panitia Penyelenggara Asian Games lV (1962). "Third Progress Report, Asian Games IV 1962." Unknown author, page 6
- ↑ Panitia Penyelenggara Asian Games lV (1962). "Third Progress Report, Asian Games IV 1962." Unknown author, page 5
- ↑ Only the service elevators survived until 2017 when it was replaced by Otis. Building was demolished in the early 2020s for redevelopment.
- ↑ Replaced into a low cost Schindler elevator in the early 2000s. The only remnant left from the old elevator now is the old call station on the lower floor.
- ↑ Passenger elevators were replaced by Otis and later Mitsubishi. Service elevators were modernized by Otis in the 1990s and later again by Louser Lift in the 2010s.
- ↑ Modernized by Otis in the 1990s (speculated into Elevonic 401), and again in 2017. Building demolished in the early 2020s for redevelopment.
- ↑ Modernized into Otis Elevonic 411M in 1996. Currently being replaced into newer Otis elevators since late 2023.
- ↑ Modernized into Otis Elevonic 411M in the 1990s. Two out of five elevators were replaced into Sigma Iris NV in 2016 while the remaining units were decommissioned until they were modernized by Nidec in the early 2020s.
- ↑ Main elevators were modernized into Otis Elevonic 411M in the 1990s. Replaced into Kone in the 2010s.
- ↑ Main passenger elevators were replaced into Guangri in 2017.
- ↑ Kondisi Wisma Fajar Khusus Atlet Memprihatinkan - Tribun News (Archived)
External links and resources
TBA
| Otis elevator models | |
|---|---|
| Models currently in-production | PS: Arise • Gen2 (Gen2 Mod • Gen2 Premier (2010s)) • Gen3 (Gen3 Core • Gen3 Edge • Gen3 Peak) • Noriai-go 20 • OH 5000 HS: SkyRise FR: FOVF |
| Discontinued models | PS: 200VF and 300VF • Otis 2000 • 3200 & 3000B • Gen2 (Gen2 Comfort • Gen2 Premier (2000s) • Gen2-Regen) • SKY • Spec 5 • Spec 50 • Spec 60VF • Spec 90 • Spec Tiara HS: Elevonic 311 • Elevonic 401 • Elevonic 411 & 411M • SKYWAY FR: - |
| Unidentified models (models have no confirmed names) |
1950s-1970s Otis elevators • Otis Modernization |
| Destination dispatch | Compass / CompassPlus / Compass 360 |
| Remarks | (PS) Passenger model (traction with or without machine room / hydraulic) • (HS) High speed passenger model • (FR) Freight or heavy duty model |
