IOC/IAKS Award 2009 for Galzigbahn Basis Terminal by Driendl Architects
October 26th, 2009 - Posted in Architecture Design, Architecture News
The IOC/IAKS Award is the only international architecture competition for sports and leisure facilities. This year 117 teams of operators and designers from 26 countries took part in the IOC/IAKS Award. In the 20 year old history this competition for sports facilities has never previously seen such number of registered participants. IOC/IAKS Award 2009 for Galzigbahn Basis Terminal in St. Anton am Arlberg, Austria by and Arlberger Bergbahnen AG.
Galzigbahn Basis Terminal(c) Nicole SabellaGlass, steel, concrete – favoured materials when Georg Driendl expresses his views of an architecture which strongly refuses the fashion of hollow and meaningless aesthetical over-forming. Sober feedstock, yet sensual in its combination. The form of the new basis station directly evolves out of the transport function it has to achieve. The desire for readability and transparency defines the material choice. Glass reveals technical inner life and previews the trip up to the mountain. Concrete grounds the construction, anchors it into the slope, creates a counterweight and is a carrier of a space truss (organized in triangulated bracing and as filigree as possible) which carries off the weight of the roof.
The visible construction of the space truss (with its riggings and the chosen profiles) directly evolves from the prevailing wind- and weather conditions, always standing in attention to defy wind, rain and snow-masses.Still, the new glass hood above the massive concrete pedestal looks beautiful as it enters the valley with an elegant drive and neither walks a daring architectural tightrope nor is it just a plain home for the technical devices. It’s one of those rare situations when architectural developments and technological innovation work hand in hand, where architecture is an equal partner of technology, even its catalyst. driendl*architects achieved obstetrics as their bold sketch acted as a catalyst for the necessary technological frame.
The client, has been impressed by the imposing architectural concepts and put gentle pressure on the cable car building company (Doppelmayr) to overcome technical limitations. The moved architecture paints, skilfully minimalist, the impressive new course of motions of the Galzigbahn. The gondola enters the building and a giant wheel leads it to a point which enables the guests to enter it on ground level. The cabin turns into the opposite direction: the passengers get lifted, together with the gondola, and float above the rural roof-landscape to the Galzig (the mountain), through glassed space. The passenger conquers space through the cable car, starting with the inner, followed by the outer, until spatial limits blur. Driendl architects packed the swung building into a pictogram of the Galzigbahn. Functional architecture as vivid and sensual as it gets.
Furthermore, we would like to inform you that Arlberger Bergbahnen AG and Driendl architects are currently working on the new Terminal Rendlbahn which will be opened with the begin of the winter season 2009. The success story of Galzigbahn to integrate the station areas into the town center will be followed with Rendlbahn. St. Anton will be the first town, where both valley sides with their respective skiing areas are developed with lifts situated directly in the center.
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October 28th, 2009 at 7:54 am
Beautiful Design! Can see the modern design integrates seamlessly with environment. The practical use of glass, concrete, and color all work perfectly together.