<p>An elevator has a machineroom of a comparatively low height so designed that a sufficiently large working space necessary for inspection and maintenance work is available in the machineroom and a hoist cable can be wound round a traction sheave disposed in the machineroom at a large contact angle. The elevator has a cage provided with front and back cage-side sheaves and suspended for vertical movement in an elevator shaft, and a counterweight that moves vertically in a space behind a vertical plane containing the back wall of the cage in the elevator shaft. The traction sheave and a drive unit for driving the traction sheave are disposed in the machineroom with their axes laterally extended. The back cage-side sheave lies below the traction sheave.</p>
