Cable Railway Stations in Innsbruck

The new funicular railway, running from Innsbruck’s city centre to the Nordkette mountain formation, encompasses four stations. The sculptural structures follow a common basic architectural concept and are adapted to both the topographical and urbanistic context. Closely related to one another in terms of form, all four stations are characterised by the individual interaction of two contrasting elements: a freeform glass roof-shell reminiscent of snow and glacier landscapes and the plastically modelled exposed concrete base, which incorporates the steps and platforms. The complex geometric forms were realised within a digital working process from design up to construction. The number of conventional plans was reduced here; the required data were generated from digital 3D models and integrated directly into the assembly. The article explains in details the planning, development and manufacture of the steel bearing structure, the glass elements and the novel glass mounting. Using new production methods, the computer-generated architectural form was transformed precisely and, for the most part, automatically into the constructed structure.