Panoramic lifts: glass car, shaft, price
A panoramic lift can be installed in three ways: inside the building, for example in an atrium; in a shaft attached to the facade; or in a separate glass shaft next to a heritage building. The price depends most on which way you choose, because along with the lift you pay for the shaft, the foundation and the approvals.
Such a lift is also called a gallery or observation lift. We have built all three types; our projects are below. The cars on these projects are Izamet (Bulgaria), and a panoramic lift usually has a rated load of 400 to 1000 kg. We install it in shopping centres, hotels and business centres, and for a private client in Dolyna we built a panoramic platform lift.
Panoramic lift: three approaches on our projects
| Inside the building | Shaft on the facade | Shaft by a heritage building | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Our project | Mens shopping centre, Ivano-Frankivsk, 1000 kg, 2021 | Dolyna, Izamet Lux IS car | Chernivtsi, 1 Hrushevskoho St.: 630 kg, 1.0 m/s, 4 stops, September 2026 |
| What we built | a glass shaft on a steel frame in the retail hall | the shaft's own frame with full-height glazing, an entrance with a canopy | bored piles up to 630 mm, a waterproofed pit, a glazed frame, doors in place of windows |
| Connection to the building | the frame is matched to the architecture of the hall | the shaft is self-supporting; we did not touch the load-bearing structures | the weight goes onto its own piles, with only point fixings to the old wall |
| Approvals | mostly the design solution and the electrics | the design and the facade alteration, with the urban planning authority | the cultural heritage protection authority as well; each fixing point is justified separately |
| What affects the budget most | the number of glass sides and the shape of the car | the foundation, the glazing, the junction with the wall | restoration requirements and how long approvals take |
What a panoramic lift costs
A car with one glass side and a round car glazed all the way round are fundamentally different, and an outdoor shaft adds cost items of its own, so there can be no single "from" price here. What makes a panoramic lift more expensive:
- more transparent sides, and curved glass, which is bent at the factory to fit the frame;
- non-standard doors and car frame;
- the shaft's steel frame, designed together with the lift manufacturer before any welding;
- an outdoor shaft: seals, heating and pit drainage;
- tinting and ventilation, because without them the car overheats in an atrium in summer;
- cleaning the glass later on, which is best thought about at the design stage.
The closest point of reference can be checked in the Prozorro register. There you will find a contract for our Chernivtsi project (UA-2026-06-26-011590-a: piles, openings, roofing, electrics). This is work on a heritage building, so the amount cannot be taken as the price of a panoramic lift.
Our panoramic lifts
Chernivtsi, 1 Hrushevskoho St.
The regional administration building, a monument of national significance, heritage protection No. 1740. A 630 kg Izamet panoramic lift, 1.0 m/s, 4 stops, with a car glazed on three sides. The shaft stands by the courtyard facade on piles up to 630 mm in diameter, with a waterproofed pit below the car. People enter the lift from the building's corridors on all four floors; on the three upper floors we made the doors in place of windows. Tested to DSTU EN 81-20, handed over in September 2026. Learn more: the external panoramic lift in Chernivtsi.
Dolyna
The building was designed without a lift, and there was no room for a shaft inside. We attached the shaft to the facade on its own frame, with glazing over the full travel height. On the ground floor there is an entrance with automatic doors and a canopy. The car is a tinted panoramic Izamet in the Lux IS version. Project page: the panoramic lift in Dolyna.
Mens shopping centre, Ivano-Frankivsk
A 1000 kg Izamet panoramic lift in the retail hall, 201h Halytska St., 2021. The lift stands in the hall next to the escalators: they take the main flow of people, and it carries those for whom steps are not suitable. More photos: the 1000 kg panoramic lift at the Mens shopping centre.
Car, glass, shaft
| Parameter | Options |
|---|---|
| Rated load | usually 400-1000 kg |
| Car shape | round, semicircular, rectangular |
| Transparent walls | one, two, three or all round |
| Glass | toughened or multi-layer laminated (triplex), tinted on request |
| Shaft | steel frame with glass, or reinforced concrete with a cut-out |
| Landing doors | stainless steel, with or without glass inserts |
MP panoramic lifts
At MP, a panoramic car is available as a version of any series, with glass walls and doors. We choose the glass, floor and finishes from samples, and agree the dimensions on factory drawings before production. When the building has no shaft, the factory can supply its own steel structure for external installation, although we also build such shafts ourselves.
We do not publish MP prices: the amount depends on the number of stops, the glass and the shaft. What information we need to quote an MP lift.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a panoramic lift cost?
We calculate the total for the specific building, because it is made up of the car, the glass, the shaft and the building work. Send us photos and the number of stops, or ask an engineer to visit: the site survey and quote are free. For an example from the open register, see our contract in Chernivtsi: UA-2026-06-26-011590-a.
Can a panoramic lift be installed in an existing building?
Yes. In Dolyna we attached the shaft to the facade, and in Chernivtsi we installed it separately next to a heritage building. A design is needed, and for a facade, approvals as well.
Can such a lift withstand winter outdoors?
It can, if it is ordered with the right equipment: shaft seals, pit heating and drainage, heating for the controller cabinet. The most common problem here is water: it runs off the facade into the pit, so we include drainage in the design from the start.
Which glass is safe?
Laminated (triplex) or toughened glass: when it breaks, it does not produce sharp fragments. Curved glass is made at the factory for a specific frame and cannot be adjusted on site, so it makes sense to order a spare panel together with the lift.
Can a panoramic lift handle a large flow of people?
No. The cars are smaller than standard ones, the speed is moderate, and the curved sections take up usable floor area. In a shopping centre, escalators take the flow of people, and the lift works alongside them.
Is a panoramic solution suitable for a private house or cottage?
Yes. For a private client in Dolyna we built a panoramic platform lift with automatic doors. We have written about the budget for a house separately: how much a home lift costs.
Last stop: your request
We'll prepare a quote for your building: 050 585-39-28, 063 283-31-48, 096 901-76-50. Lviv: 097 099-89-87. Mon-Fri 09:00-18:00.
The site survey and quote are free, and an engineer will contact you within one business day. Prefer not to call? Email us at portallift@gmail.com or fill in the form on this page.
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