Villa Barone Manner: A Bridal Elevator with Flair
Special Application Elevator Preserves Dance Floor Footprint
Bridal Elevator Incorporates Composite of Technology at Villa Barone Manor
The Bronx, New York
Villa Barone Manor in Bronx, NY has long been known as a destination for elegant weddings with attention to detail. When they had a vision of newlyweds rising in a large, glass-encased elevator into the center of the dance floor to their awaiting wedding guests, they knew just who to call. The trouble with an elevator ascending into the middle of a dance floor is that the floor needed to maintain its beautiful appearance, while also keeping the elevator’s presence completely inconspicuous.
Gillespie Corporation designed a truly unique special application elevator that preserves the dance floor footprint. The elevator rises just above the dance floor and contains a revolving turntable, so the glowing couple can be seen at all angles. Our one-of-a-kind design makes for the perfect wedding entrance!
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A crucial stipulation was that the bridal elevator could not reduce the existing dance floor area. The unit had to be seamlessly designed into the ballroom such that its presence was completely inconspicuous when situated a floor below. Furthermore, to ensure that newly married couples are easily seen by all guests, it was decided that the elevator would contain a revolving turntable and rise to a resting point higher than the dance floor.
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Based on a co-design with GEM Elevator, Gillespie leveraged technology from passenger, freight and sidewalk elevators. Gillespie's engineers finalized and executed their plan. The resulting elevator incorporates a 10' x 10' glass-enclosed cab, a floor-mounted 9'-diameter turntable and a vertical lift door in the dance floor that becomes the cab roof as the cab rises.
A legal hoistway, motor room and pit were provided. Creating a deeper pit than originally envisioned allows the elevator car to travel 36" above the dance floor. Barricades consisting of Lucite panels supported by posts were installed around the perimeter of the vertical lift door prior to car movement. Each post was electrically connected in a series, so that the car can not move if any posts are missing. Once the elevator returns to the lower level, thereby causing the vertical lift door to re-seat itself in the dance floor, the posts and panels are removed and the post holes capped.
Instead of being located inside the car, safety controls including emergency stop, constant-pressure up-and-down buttons, and turntable controls were installed at a nearby control station. Furthermore, hoistway and cab doors were interlocked.
From its completion in 2003 to the present day, the bridal elevator provides the grandest of entrances for just-married couples.
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Elevator World 2004 Project of the Year (1st Place) (Category: Special Application Elevators)
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Contact us at sales@gillespiecorp.com, call 413-967-4980 or visit www.gillespiecorp.com.