contour lines city-mountain connection

with studio valdemarin, ing. otto papst, ing. johann röck, geoconsulting int.

this project, the winning entry in the europe-wide competition to design a city-mountain link that was organised by the municipality of bressanone, proposes a direct cable-car connection between bressanone and the plose massif. the new route traverses a long section of land that encompasses urban areas with very different morphologies and functions. it begins in the centre of the old town, continues to the railway station as an amenity for incoming tourists and subsequently climbs towards mid-mountain altitude, before finally reaching the plose massif. the first section, deploying a trackbased transportation system, will be underground and will emerge above ground just beyond the residential areas, ascending seamlessly towards the mountains via a cable system. the route is punctuated by six stations, with different designs reflecting varying altitudes: wood shingles and glass for the alpine landscape and concrete shingles for the urban context, set in both cases on a load-bearing metal structure. the lightweight roofs are tilted in the relevant direction for each platform, indicating the mountains or the city. the stations are conceived as small landmarks both for their immediate surroundings, each in intimate dialogue with the local landscape, and as an ensemble, offering new spaces for urban and mountain communities. the new transport link will make it possible to reach the plose massif in just eleven minutes from the city centre, creating new ways of experiencing the city and the mountains. the stop in milland-millan will be combined with a bus station and a large car park, making it easier to use public transport, one small step towards the goal of a car-free and zero-emission city.