Lacerda's elevator

The Lacerda Elevator is the world's first urban elevator . On December 8, 1873 , when it was inaugurated, it was the highest in the world, at 63 meters. 

Located in the city of Salvador , Bahia, it serves the public transport function between the Cairu Square in the Lower Cityand the Tomé de Sousa Square in the Upper City . Today it is one of the main tourist attractions and postcard of the city.From the top of its towers , one can see the view of the Bay of All Saints , Mercado Modelo and, in the background, the Fort of São Marcelo .

The structure is 72 meters high and has two towers : one that leaves the rock and pierces the mountain slope , balancing the cabins, and another, more visible, that joins the first tower, descending to the level of the Lower City. The most famous elevator in Bahia can carry 900 thousand passengers per month or, on average, 28 thousand people a day at the cost of fifteen cents of real per passenger, in a thirty- second journey.

History

Project

The geomorphology of the site, two planes separated by a great escarpment , was a problem during the construction of Salvador and that was growing with the expansion of the city, becoming a challenge to be overcome. Rapid and comfortable communication between the two levels was a necessity at a time when transportation was done through steep cranes and steep slopes. However, the plan of Bahia visionary Antônio de Lacerda in idealizing the Conceição Hydraulic Lift - first name of Elevador Lacerda - was not only to connect the low and high part of the city, it was to facilitate the transportation to the south, meaning that the city expanded, articulating the elevator with the tram lines.

The project was built in a family environment. Meetings between his father Antonio Francisco de Lacerda , owner of many properties, brother engineer Augusto Frederico de Lacerda , his wife and father-in-law, were held to discuss the revolutionary plan. The works began on October 17 , 1869 .

Construction and inauguration 

The opportunity to realize his project came when the firm Antônio de Lacerda & Cia , whose main partner was his father, bought the rights to build transport lines on the hillside and the firm became the Urban Transportation Company . The inauguration of the equipment occurred four years later and the elevator became popularly known as " Screw ". In 1896 , the official name was changed to "Elevador Lacerda" in honor of the idealizer and builder Antônio de Lacerda . 

After its inauguration, it became the main means of transportation between the Cidade Alta , where the historical center is located, and the Cidade Baixa , a place of concentration of financial and commercial activities in Salvador. In the initial structure, passengers had to be weighed individually, and the total weight of the passengers to be transported was calculated and summed up to the maximum safety limit. The Baron of Jeremoabo (Cicero Dantas) thus registered the weighing of his own and of other authorities:

Initially it operated with two cabins, currently works with four modern electric cabins that have 32 passengers each, with a dwell time of 22 seconds. .

Reforms

Several changes have been introduced throughout its history by five major reforms and revisions:

1. in July 1906 for its electrification;
2. in 1930 another two elevators and a new tower were added;
3. in the late 1950s , concluding in 1961, the elevator underwent a complete overhaul in its mechanical part;
4. in the early 1980s there was a review of the concrete structure;
5. in 1997 the revision of all electrical and electronic machinery was carried out.

The 1930's renovation gave it the current architecture in Art Deco style. The two original cabins were expanded to four, each with the capacity to carry up to twenty-seven passengers. The inauguration of the work took place on January 1 of that year.

It was registered by the National Historical and Artistic Heritage Institute , on December 7 , 2006 . 

Source: https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elevador_Lacerda