The cabin is made of dark wood, and the floor is worn. A metal grate surrounds it, which must be slammed shut before activating the mechanism and slowly climbing to the top. Hundreds of elevators like this one, built between the late 19th century and the Spanish Civil War, still stand in Barcelona's Eixample district. At least 1,200 survive throughout the city, according to the latest municipal inventory. If you go up and look closely, you'll see that many still bear the same name engraved somewhere in the cabin: Otis. It's the American company that has led the elevator industry for over 170 years. Every day, it moves some 2.4 billion people worldwide, services and maintains approximately 2.4 million elevators and escalators, and employs 72,000 people. In 2024, it closed the fiscal year with a profit of €1.578 billion, 17% more than the previous year.