Design, hygiene, safety: these are the ingredients that, at the time of the pandemic, we claim to find in a lift, a small world destined to transport hundreds, thousands of people every day. This aesthetically appreciable and sanctified world is called On Air and is the project developed by Studio Marco Piva for IGV Group, an Italian company recognized for its tailored approach to lift design. A project that Abet also collaborated with, supplying Lamishield Abet Antimicrobial Laminate, the laminate that thanks to the silver ion technology totally incorporated in the decorative layer reduces the bacterial load present on its surface by up to 99.9%. Together with the use of correct hygiene and cleaning practices, Lamishield is able to inhibit the growth of a broad spectrum of microbes.
On Air is a strategic project for a new generation of lifts that relate and interact with the environments as real interior design elements and which, at the same time, respond to the need for a safe environment even in Coronavirus time, with cutting-edge and performance materials to guarantee perfect sanitization of the cabin.
“With On Air“, says Michele Suria, CEO of IGV Group, “we are presenting for the first time a product that dialogues with architects and designers, where elevators become elements of interior architecture”. Marco Piva adds: “On Air represents a new way of conceiving the internal and external space of the lift cabin: it is an ethereal project – hence its name – which translates into an immersive, simple, elegant and pure volume, which combines the highest standards of accessibility and safety with elements of innovation dedicated to safeguarding the health of passengers and operators”.
On Air is not simply design, but also a technology for safety. It is a modular system where non-obsessive technology addresses architecture in an invisible and almost imperceptible way, so as to guarantee the highest level of environmental protection.
There are many technical solutions involved to guarantee the full sanitization of the lift car, ranging from pre-processed antimicrobial materials to rounded profiles removing corners and edges by connecting the car walls to the floor in order to prevent the build-up of germs, from technical grooves in the walls, serving as an integrated handrail provided with a UVC germicidal technology, to the highly efficient mechanical ventilation system for a continuous air purification and a near-instant air exchange.
In order to reduce the exposure to the risk of contagion, thus guaranteeing a safe use of the lift, On Air is equipped with the most advanced interface and internal communication systems: from virus-resistant to touch-free and proximity-activated control panels, from multilingual voice interface combined with face recognition for enabling exclusive stops, to the remote control of the lift system from mobile device.
On Air is a light, emotional system, strongly characterized by light, emphasising directly or indirectly the lift car geometry, cutting out the spaces where the lights are hidden. The UV-C ultraviolet component of the lamps, integrated in the technical grooves, guarantees a complete sterilization of the surfaces, offering an absolutely pure and safe environment. It is automatically activated during the stand-by phase of the lift, only when there are no passengers in the car.
On air also enhances the lift by changing it into a multimedia container, conceived to amaze the user. Forgetting about their material component, the lift car surfaces become full size monitors and come alive for an immersive, enveloping and fully engaging experience.
