Also known as the Cyclic Elevator.
A type of lift or elevator working on a different principle to the common design. The main feature of the Paternoster is that it never stops!
The Paternoster Lift is essentially a chain of lift compartments with no doors, into which users must step rapidly in and out of at the desired floor, again through open doorways. The lift is engineered so that each compartment travels up the building along one shaft and then down a parallel shaft, while the compartments remain correctly orientated throughout their whole journey.
This design, although outlandish, could handle twice as many passengers as a contemporary standard lift shaft when first implemented.
This type of lift, although more popular on the European continent, can be found in some buildings in the UK, including the University of Sheffield's Arts Tower. This provides hours of fun for bored art students, especially by trying to get each others limbs amputated by a passing lift car.
Due to the non-stop movement of the lift, it is also possible to travel through the loft and basement areas of the lift where it reaches the zenith and nadir respectively of its path. Although signs warn of the danger of doing this, as it would result in being trapped in a coffin like space at the top of the tower if the lift were to break down, it provides a cheap thrill for students, and a refreshing break from studying in the nearby library.