Gothenberg is opening new doors for the future of urban public transport. Chosen as the competition winner, UNStudio was selected for designing a 3-kilometer cable car in Gothenburg. The cable car will cause a major shift in the transportation routes of the city as it will connect the southern and northern areas of the major Swedish city. Changing the way the residents move around the city, the cable car will link the old city on the south of the river to three areas in the north.
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Expected to open by 2021, this cable car system will mark Gothenburg’s 400 anniversary. Other than the architectural firm UNStudio, Kjellgren Kaminsky architects are taking part in the project as the local architects, while Knippers Helbig is the structure and engineering advisor who helped produce this impressive structure. Additionally, Licht & Soehne worked on the lighting design of the cable car.
The winning UNStudio has prior experience in cable car designs, as it previously worked on a design for the Portland Aerial Tramway in Oregon (USA). Other proposals for this competition included entries by BIG, Wilkinson Eyre, and White Arkitekter with Diller, Scofidio+Renfro.
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The cable car system will save a lot of time for the people in Gothenburg while causing minimum impact on the environment. Interestingly, this cable car is going to be the first new method of public transportation in Sweden since the subway was established back in the 1930s.
“A cable car system can not only provide much needed sustainable transport between otherwise disconnected parts of our growing cities but by traveling ‘as the crow flies’ and bypassing traffic congestion on the ground, it can ensure extremely fast, reliable and efficient travel for both residents and visitors alike,” States Ben Van Berkel, founder and principal architect of UNStudio.
Using a groundbreaking innovative structure, the structural supports mimic the cranes in the city’s shipyards. Consisting of six tall open towers, the structure provides a lot of openness rather than act as a bulky obstacle in the middle city. This does not only prevent heavy shadows but also allows pedestrian paths, green spaces, and streets to easily pass through the base of the towers.
Additionally, this cutting-edge open structural tower makes sure that the climate at the base is pleasant and that there is a safe environment where you are in visual contact with anyone around you. Additionally, the highest tower provides a node for social interaction and acts as a landmark at Lindholmen quay.
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Related Project: Bolzano Cable Car | Snøhetta
See more: Arnhem Central Transfer Terminal | UNStudio
“The design of the Gothenburg cable car references the asymmetrical shapes of the shipyard cranes and their movements as they carry their loads throughout the day. The aim of the design is to reflect the robustness of this industrialized city’s past, whilst alluding to its expansive future. Although the towers are pieces of high engineering, they are also very sculptural, slender, and transparent within the urban landscape.” adds the Dutch architect.
