A landmark university building and its record-breaking lift are celebrating six decades of use.
The 78m (256ft) tall Arts Tower, at the University of Sheffield, was officially opened by HM Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother in June 1966, and is home to one of just a handful of paternoster lifts still working in the UK.
Recognised by Guinness World Records as the world’s largest paternoster elevator, the 38 carriage lift runs on a continuous cycle, with passengers stepping on and off as it moves to access the Grade II listed tower’s 19 floors.
Estates and facilities management, James Merryclough, said the lift was a “core part” of the university’s “experience” and a “highlight” for visitors.
However, the lift has not always been reliable he said, recalling a time when a former professor got stuck on the way to a tea party, leaving him only visible from the neck upwards.
“The Vice Chancellor of the time actually served him tea through the gap in the Paternoster,” he said.
