How elevator data helps Warsaw Trade Tower work smarter

The traditional approach to monitoring occupancy typically involves physical sensors on ceilings, which in a high-rise can generate noticeable expenses and logistical challenges. There was a need for an innovative yet cost-effective solution to understand the building’s dynamics.

“We were looking for a way to let the building 'communicate' with us through the data it was already generating,” explains Teodor Teter, digital transformation manager at Globalworth Poland.
 

A high-rise office building is a complex organism where every elevator journey between floors leaves a digital footprint. At WTT, this valuable data was used to create real-time occupancy profiles without the need for additional installations or disruption to tenants.

Elevator data is not a standalone “silver bullet” solution. Its true value is revealed when integrated with the building’s primary systems. At Warsaw Trade Tower, KONE’s connected elevator is one of the data streams feeding the building management system. This integration is a crucial step in digital transformation. To succeed, these projects also require a dedicated energy optimization partner that can transform occupancy insights into automated, real-time actions.
 

As Teodor Teter points out: “The biggest challenge is making systems from different service providers speak the same language. In the case of WTT, thanks to KONE’s partnership approach, this process did not cause any problems. The acquired data allows us to verify actual utility demand on specific floors across daily and weekly cycles.”

In modern office buildings, elevator data can be used to determine how many people are on each floor at any given time. 

“With KONE 24/7 Connect using real-time equipment data and analytics to monitor elevator performance, we give the building a voice and provide the property team with a tool for operational optimization. This allows for even greater energy efficiency by adjusting HVAC operations to real occupancy rather than assumptions,” says Tero Hottinen, vice president, head of strategic partnerships at KONE. 

The main goal of the collaboration was to further optimize the building’s heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems, which typically account for nearly half of an office building's total energy consumption. Traditional systems that rely on fixed schedules (e.g., running at full capacity from 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM) might be inefficient in the age of hybrid work, flexible hours, and diverse sectors operating within the same building.
 

“Thanks to data delivered by KONE, we can benefit from intelligent demand-based control. If the data shows that a specific team works from 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM, environmental parameters are automatically adjusted, ensuring maximum comfort exactly when needed and generating savings at other times,” Teter explains.

Teodor Teter, digital transformation manager at Globalworth Poland

Warsaw Trade Tower demonstrates a “low-expenses, high-value” approach, focusing on the intelligent use of existing building resources to avoid additional financial costs while providing analytical insights.

“This project is a perfect example of co-creation. It’s about a shared vision of what a smart, sustainable building can be. By working with forward-thinking clients like Globalworth, we are setting a new standard for efficient modernization across the industry. Together with partner technologies, our occupancy-based control systems provide clear and measurable energy savings, confirming the immense value hidden in existing systems,” Hottinen says.
 

The collaboration between KONE and Globalworth goes beyond standard business boundaries, showing how know-how exchange and the creative use of a building's core equipment can deliver meaningful value for both assets and tenants.

The success of the pilot at WTT opens the door to further innovation. In the future, data generated by elevators could also be used to create intelligent cleaning schedules or to provide tenants with reports to help them manage their leased spaces more effectively.
 

Warsaw Trade Tower proves that market leader status is maintained not only through architecture but primarily through continuous digital evolution and an innovation-focused mindset.

“At Globalworth, we create what we call ’magnet spaces’ – places that attract people and give them multiple reasons to visit. With the help of data provided by KONE’s connected elevators, this attraction becomes smarter and more sustainable,” Teter concludes.

The growing need for more sustainable and intelligent buildings is reshaping the role of elevators in the building’s digital ecosystem. They are no longer just devices for vertical transport but an additional source of value – acting as sensors that provide data for building analytics. For Warsaw Trade Tower, this evolution is another step in strengthening its position as a technically advanced, future-proof icon on Warsaw’s skyline, where innovation is the result of a deliberate strategy, openness to new possibilities, and cooperation with trusted technology partners.