Residents and guests of the largest city of South Tyrol for the symbolic 40 years were deprived of the opportunity to comfortably climb the steep Virgolo mountain - the old funicular stopped working in 1976, and since then, stunning views of the city itself and the surrounding mountainous terrain have been virtually inaccessible. It is even more symbolic that the Snøhetta architectural bureau, named after one of the highest and most beautiful peaks in Norway, will correct the situation. The customer of the project and the organizer of the international competition was SIGNA Group.
By 2017, the center of Bolzano and the viewing platform at the top of Virgolo will be connected by two washer-shaped pavilions overhanging the ground with holes in the middle. It will take just 5 minutes to get out of the bustle of the city to a quiet place at an altitude of about 450 meters. And the journey itself on the new cable car will take exactly 1 minute and 11 seconds.
The futuristic pavilions designed by the architects will prepare the visitor in advance for the sudden change of surroundings at the end of the journey. The lower volume located in the city will be defiantly dissolved in greenery and will receive a view terrace. The upper "base", reminiscent of a shuttlecock in plan, on the contrary, will bring a piece of modern urban environment to the natural landscape - a kind of ideal space for relaxation. It will be a kind of ramp with a restaurant, a cafe, a special panoramic pool and even meeting rooms located on it. Moreover, the wide "plumage" of the shuttlecock will become a full-fledged urban area - a universal space that allows fairs, concerts and other events to be held.
