RIBA Stirling Prize 2008 Shortlist | 4Homes

12. Nordpark Cable Railway, Austria

Source: Roland Halbe

12. Nordpark Cable Railway, Austria (Image 12 of 16)

Architect: Zaha Hadid Architects

This futuristic funicular railway with its Dali-esque curves has been built to connect the centre of Innsbruck with the mountain village of Hungerburg. It is to be used equally by tourists wanting to access the high slopes and villagers needing to reach more urban areas.

The construction of the railway is a considerable achievement in its own right and incorporates a bridge and four cable car stations on a scale befitting its Alpine setting. All the station designs are variations on one theme - the relationship between the concrete supporting frame and the canopy. The base can be read as the ‘moraine’ (the ridge-like rock deposited by a glacier) and the smooth double curvature glass canopy as the glacier itself. Together they create a great feeling of fluidity.

The Shortlist
Accordia, Cambridge
Bijlmer Station, Amsterdam
Manchester Civil Justice Centre, Manchester
Nordpark Cable Railway, Austria
Royal Festival Hall, London
Westminster Academy at the Naim Dangoor Centre, London

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