A man hoist is not for the faint of heart but today LISA was in search of photos and information so up the 181 Fremont man hoist, or lift, we went. While the building is not yet complete, all 802 feet of it does not fail to impress. We had the distinct pleasure of walking around the roof, perusing what will soon be the most exclusive penthouse in SF and poking around the operations floors that take care of the not so glamorous waste, water, and ventilation.

Our trip down was step by step down the entire length of the stairwell, which when the building is complete, will only be seen by maintenance crews.  

Some fascinating things we learned: three rotating  (220 – 300 man) crews are on sight around the clock. The exterior cranes had to be specially built in Germany and flown in to accommodate the heavy lifts materials at this “safety first” building. In an emergency, occupants will be directed TO use the elevators for evacuation, which is quite contrary to our natural inclination to head for the stairs.