Bolzano Cable Car
Not one year, but for almost 40 years the visitors were not able to reach the steep Virgolo/Virgl mountain in Bolzano, Italy because the cable car which led up was closed in 1976. The SIGNA Group hosted an international design competition for a new cable car transit system and the 1st Prize went to Snøhetta. This new cable car transit system will allow visitors to experience the beauty of the surrounding landscape and the city below with only a minute ride on a cable car.
Summit station. Image © Snøhetta
Snøhetta’s design is composed of two circular terminals at the peak and the base of the mountain, connecting each other through holes in the centers of the buildings. The cable course is at a tangent between the two buildings. Both terminals will have an unique design to characterize them. The one at the base of the mountain will introduce nature to the city, marking the end of the Südtirolerstraße. It will be a warm welcome for the visitors and will prepare them for the journey into nature. While at the top, the station will create an ‘urban interface with nature’ – offering the great views and in the same time hosting a restaurant, café, infinity pool and meeting rooms. The development will also include a ‘Mountain Square’ suitable for hosting events such as open-air markets and music .
“The base station is only four minutes from the city centre, so you can go from the centre of town to the top of a mountain in about five minutes – a really quick trip”, Patrick Lüth, a partner at Snøhetta. “We don’t want people to linger at the base. It’s really just for take-off“.
Base station. Image © Snøhetta
The cable car will use existing Italian technology, even though the Snøhetta team is hoping to put their own style in the cars, possibly by working with local artists. “We would love to have a look at those cabins. It would be great to create something unique to the place”, said Lüth. We hope that the project will not stop there. Some rumors says that a possible second leg could take visitors much higher. An additional cable line could be added to bring visitors more than 500 meters (1640 feet) above town to the top of Kohlern mountain. It would be great to have the chance to ‘fly’ from the city to the top of the mountain, experiencing the wild of nature from above.
Summit station plan. Image © Snøhetta
Project Information:
Architect : Snøhetta
Location : Bolzano, Italy
Project Year : 2015-Excepted 2017
