26 / 44
26
MADRASLIGHTHOUSE–CHENNAI, INDIA
Chennai’s beacon
shines again
The reopenedMadras Lighthouse on the east coast of the Indian subcontinent is one of the latest unique
structuresmodernizedby KONE.
Overlooking theBayof Bengal on theworld’s second-longest
beach stands a triangular edificepaintedwith large red and
white stripes in typical lighthouse fashion. After being closed
for 22 years, the legendaryMadras LighthouseonChennai’s
popularMarinaBeachwas reopened to thepublic at the end
of 2013 following a facelift and technical overhaul.
Built in1976, the iconic landmark is oneof the few lighthouses
in theworld–and theonlyone in India– tobeequippedwith
an electric elevator. Closed for security reasons for over two
decades, theMadras Lighthousehas nowbeen restored to its
original glory. It houses the Indianmeteorological department
andanewlyopened tourist attraction, a LighthouseMuseum
established throughapublic-privatepartnership.
Crowdpleaser
KONE equipped the 46-meter tall lighthousewith a new
elevator completewithemergency rescueequipment, intercom
and a floor announcement system. The KONEMiniSpace
™
elevator features a durable stainless steel car and a KONE
EcoDisc
®
hoistingmotor with regenerative drive features,
making it approximately 50percentmore energy-efficient
than the old unit it replaced.
Huge crowds linedup to see themuch-anticipatedopeningof
the lighthouse. Formany visitors, itwas their first opportunity
toadmire theBayof Bengal from sucha spectacular height.
“Wewereexcited to seea longqueueof visitorswaiting to
take theelevator to the viewinggalleryon inaugurationday.
Over10,000peopleusedour elevator in thefirst fourdays,”
says
K. Srinivasan
, KONEModernizationSeniorManager.
Fast-trackingwithprecision
KONEwas chosen toprovidea turnkey solutionbasedon
a soundunderstandingof end-user requirements in similar
modernizationprojects. The front wall anddoors of the
elevator car were custom-designed to accommodate
the existingentrancewall. Byadapting theelevator to the
site’s requirements, KONE accelerated the installation
process, thus accruing savings for thecustomer.
Due to its location, thedamp site isbuffetedbyheavywinds
and called for special safetyprecautions during installation.
Adding to thesephysical challenges, theentireprojectwason
a fast-track scheduleof 60days, includingdeliveryofmaterials,
dismantling theexistingelevator and installing thenewunit.
KONE carefully coordinated schedules and reviewed site
progressonadailybasis toensure thatworkwas completed
on time andmet establishedquality standards. Thorough
preparatoryworkwas carriedout in a timelymanner and
thehoistwaywas ready aheadof the arrival of equipment,
enabling the installation toproceed seamlessly.
“Wecompleted the installation from shutdown tohandover
of thenewelevator inonly28days,whichwas10days ahead
of the timeallocated for installation,” revealsSrinivasan. KONE
will alsohandle themaintenance of the new elevator.