They all look pretty much the same.  They’re made of metal and (sometimes) glass.  The utilitarian escalator is prevalent in just about every mall and public space.  From the most basic to the most lavish buildings, the escalators are the same.  Why can’t escalators better complement the spaces that they are in?

As an example, the escalators in the NYC subway system and those in the opulent Time Warner Center are (at least from an aesthetic point of view) virtually identical. Here are some photos:

Why are they the same?  In a luxury building full of Italian marble and beautiful wooden banisters, why must the escalators be so cookie-cutter?  They should have inlaid marble on the edges and wooden banisters.  The handrails should be colored to match the surroundings.  There should be lighting embedded to complement the subdued lighting in the Time Warner Center at night.  The overall experience suffers when you don’t consider these types of details.

Here are two examples of how escalators can enhance an experience:

When people go to Macy’s in NYC’s Herald Square, the experience is more than just the shopping.  The store is part of the history of the city.  On the upper floors, you can still ride the original old wooden escalators which serve as a reminder of the history and add to the magic of the original Macy’s store.  They are not cheap to operate and all the replacement parts have to be custom made since no one makes them anymore, but people notice them because they are different and surprising.

Wooden Escalator in Macy's

Or take this example.  I was shopping in San Francisco mall recently and I rode my first CURVED escalator.  It had the same function as any other escalator, but it fit the circular space perfectly.  The architects clearly understood that traditional straight escalators would appear out of place (as they often do) in a circular environment.  Further, the flow of foot traffic is improved because going from floor to floor occurs in a seamless circular pattern, avoiding the awkward “about-face” needed to switch escalators in a traditional escalator bank.

Curved Escalator in San Francisco

New designs for boring things like escalators can pleasantly surprise people and enhance their experience.