Snøhetta designs ring-shaped cable car station in Italian Alps

The design by Norwegian firm Snøhetta beat Zaha Hadid Architects and Coop Himmelb(l)au in an international competition for a new cable car and viewing station in the Italian Alpine city of Bolzano.

In Snøhetta’s design, two cylindrical rings embedded into the existing topography, each at different elevations, will be connected by a cable car. During the minute-long cable car journey, passengers can enjoy views of the city and of the Italian Alps.

Organized by Austrian real estate company SIGNA Group, together with the city, the cable car station is expected to draw tourists to the small city. The top station, which sits on the Virgolo Cliff, will include a 120-seat restaurant, a bar, exhibition space, and a large open-air viewing plaza, while the base station is located near Bolzano’s center.

In an interview with Dezeen, Snøhetta partner Patrick Lüth said: “"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. We don't want people to linger at the base. It's really just for take-off."

According to the firm, the project is expected to be completed by 2017.

Other projects Snøhetta is working on include two in Oregon: a riverfront public market in Portland and a revitalization project on the Willamette Falls.