Simply a mural, rendered on the interior of the elevator shaft, visible through a window in the back or side of the elevator.

High rise offices could have a complete "descent from paradise" theme - clouds and angels for the uppermost executive floors, descending to the burning sulphur lakes of hell in the basement carpark levels.

Or the sci-fi version, where Death Stars orbit above exotic planets populated by scantily clad aliens, while beneath the surface, some Vernian adventure is played out.
-- Detly, Apr 04 2004

Baked http://www.daddonas...nce/elevator_shaft/
Who'd'a thunk it? [DrCurry, Oct 04 2004, last modified Oct 05 2004]

(presses button for "green meadow" floor, right above "shallow ocean" and below "treetop" level)
-- Worldgineer, Apr 05 2004


Watch out... It would start out as art for the masses, but some bean counter would start selling the space to advertisers. Look what happened to public bathrooms.
-- Turbovolv, Apr 05 2004


Conceptual version: the same, but no window in the elevator. New philosophical question: if an artist paints a mural in the woods and a tree falls on it, is it still art?
-- oxen crossing, Apr 05 2004


'Fraid so. And it'll cost ya.
-- Detly, Apr 05 2004


mia, depends on what it falls onto.
-- engineer1, Apr 05 2004


ouch!
-- po, Apr 05 2004


If an elevator is falling in a shaft where you are painting a tree in a mural at the bottom, do you hear the crash?
-- FarmerJohn, Apr 05 2004


well, I like it a lot. Thanks Detly.
-- dentworth, Apr 05 2004


Very nice, Detly ... Bun from me. [+]
-- Letsbuildafort, Apr 05 2004


I hope it's better than the music.
-- angel, Apr 05 2004


I want the Apollo version with the, "We have lift off", the blast and shaking. Huge flame lit clouds engulfing the elevator and parts of the tower falling away. Losing stages at each floor. The atmosphere thinning, bloody awsome. (+)
-- 2 fries shy of a happy meal, Apr 05 2004


How about having two inkjet-ish printers installed on the outside of the elevator (one at the top of the window and one at the bottom) so that the elevator, as it moves between floors, actually draws the picture as it goes?

Insert a camera in the lift that takes a picture of the interior as the doors close, wire that up to the printer things, and you could find yourself staring at an image of yourself looking tired and sleepy as you descend the building looking tired and sleepy at the end of the day.
-- lostdog, Apr 05 2004


Given the propensity of urban youth for both graffiti and hanging out in elevator shafts, I wouldn't be altogether surprised if this was already somewhat baked in some highrise in Brooklyn.

Anyway, at least one bright spark out there in the real world has already done this for money - see link.
-- DrCurry, Apr 05 2004


After looking at [DrC]'s link I wonder if the elevator could be placed inside a big aquarium; with tunnels through the aquarium for exit/entry. Not something for your everyday office building, but a place like Disneyworld could do it.
-- kbecker, Apr 05 2004


I like this.
-- energy guy, Aug 31 2004


Is this how we're describing [Vernon]'s ideas now ?....[some Vernian adventure is played out]
-- normzone, Aug 31 2004


I believe they mean Jules, not The Verbose One.
-- Aude Sapere, Aug 31 2004


Yes – specifically, "Journey to the Centre of the Earth."
-- Detly, Sep 01 2004


I like the "scantily clad aliens" part. Bun.
-- finflazo, Sep 01 2004


I think a better idea would be to put LCD screens on the sides of the elevators, because then you can make the images go by as fast as you want, messing with people's heads because they feel themselves going slowly(or quickly), but it looks like they are traveling quickly(slowly). Or you could have the LCDs display a landscape moving horizontally while the elevator moves vertically -- if nothing else i think it would stop the amount of people leaving work to take cigarette breaks.
-- brodie, Sep 02 2004


My mural would simply indicate how much the employees on each floor make on average, per month. That's sort of like "from hell to heaven" too.
-- django, Sep 02 2004


Vernon might have enough space to write his whole idea, in 18 point font even. Imagine the scores of people who would be viewing one trying to comprehend.

I think these should be on Venesian blind rotary displays, in order to switch every few days or so.
-- RayfordSteele, Sep 02 2004


The new lift in this building has a voice. It's damn sexy.
-- Detly, Sep 02 2004



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