image © Snøhetta / Sonaar

Snøhetta wins Bolzano Cable Car competition in Italy. The Virgolo/Virgl mountain in Bolzano, Italy has been practically inaccessible to visitors for almost forty years, following the close of the city’s historic funicular in 1976. This is about to change -  The SIGNA Group hosted an international design competition for a new cable car transit system, allowing visitors to experience the beauty of the surrounding landscape and city below with only a minute ride on a cable car.  Snøhetta was awarded first prize in the competition and the commission.

image ©Snøhetta / Sonaar

Two rings - one as the base station, the other as a top station - form the framework of the cable car that connects the rings tangentially. Travel time will be a mere 1 minute and 11 seconds, making the Virgolo/Virgl just 5 minutes from the historic centre of Bolzano, the Piazza Walther/Walterplatz. 

image ©Snøhetta / Sonaar

The new ‘Mountain Square’ atop the Virgolo/Virgl will offer a flexible space for events - from open-air markets to concerts.

The landscape design at the base station will bring a piece of nature to the city, thanks to the green topography that marks the end of the Südtirolerstraße. image © Snøhetta

The top station will serve as an urban interface with nature, housing a restaurant, café, infinity pool and meeting rooms. The development will provide a new view of the city from above, along with and possibilities for exploration, recreation and relaxation. image © Snøhetta

Project Facts

Location: Bolzano, Italy
Typology: Transportation
Status: Competition, 1st Prize; Design Development

> via Snøhetta