An elevator for 50 People powered by Spiralift® Technology at SPYSCAPE Interactive Museum
Trusted to handle large loads with ease, Gala Systems technology has proven to be a practical solution for over 30 years in some 1,750 projects around the world. The Spiralift® applications have been numerous – ranging from flight simulators to movable pool floors, automotive platforms for manufacturers such as Ferrari, General Motors and Renault, and versatile orchestra and stage lift solutions for cultural venues, including the London Royal Opera House and New York’s Carnegie Hall – and new uses are still being discovered.
Recently, Spiralift actuators have been used in an outsized passenger lift, one of the largest in the world, at the New York SPYSCAPE Museum. This innovative lift transports 50 visitors at a time to the museum’s exhibition level in a slow three-minute ascent, during which time they are shown a video briefing as part of the introduction to the museum experience.
Newly Opened SPYSCAPE Interactive Museum
The SPYSCAPE Museum opened its doors in 2017 in a Midtown Manhattan prime location, 928 8th Avenue, just two blocks from the Museum of Modern Art. Designed by renowned British-Ghanaian architect David Adjaye, whom recently won an award for the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, DC, the 60,000 square foot (5 574 square meter) installation seeks to immerse visitors into the world of espionage.
It takes them through a series of interactive exhibitions, each dedicated to a distinct spy theme: deception, encryption, surveillance, hacking, intelligence, cyber warfare and special ops. Using storytelling, stimulating experiences and materials such as glowing lights, smoked glass, fiber cement, dark gray acoustic paneling and black linoleum as key architectural elements, SPYSCAPE challenges traditional museum approaches.
One of its most unique features is the high-tech rising platform, into which visitors are guided upon entering the museum to receive their espionage “briefing”. Gala Systems came on board when SPYSCAPE needed to create this large elevator, which introduces visitors to the museum via a three-wall video experience developed by Territory Studio in London, which also worked on the films “Avengers” and “Blade Runner 2049”.
It has been exciting for Gala to collaborate on such an innovative project by supplying technology that delivers both power and stability. Not only are Spiralift actuators used to raise and lower the heavy briefing cabin smoothly, but they have themselves become an additional attraction. Located behind large windows, the technology can be seen in action from the street each time the elevator welcomes new visitors.