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Japan’s Hitachi Corporation has announced that it is manufacturing elevators that will reach speeds of 72km/h (45 mph) for a giant high-rise being built in Guangzhou, China.

Due to be installed in the new Guangzhou CTF Financial Centre, Hitachi’s elevators will be able to travel from the first to the 95th floor in a face-melting 43 seconds.

The skyscraper, which may or may not look something like the Citadel from Half Life 2 when it is finished, is scheduled to be completed in 2016. It will stand 530 metres tall, have 111 floors and be serviced by hundreds of elevators, two of which will be Hitachi’s new express models.

▼ What financial evils could the nefarious Combine possibly be working on up there?

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Until now, important people wearing suits have been forced to stand in metal boxes ascending at a top speed of barely 60.6 km/h. Thanks to Hitachi’s new technology, however, they’ll soon be pointing at pie charts and saying things like “going forward”, “let’s dialog”, and “unique dynamic solutions” even sooner.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMJfoeBU8fY#t=18

Source: NHK News
Citadel image via Taringa