In 2011, a spectacular cable car was built for the German Horticultural Show (BUGA), allowing visitors to experience a glide from the centre of Koblenz across the Rhine to Ehrenbreitstein Fortress opposite. The people of Koblenz did not want to give up this opportunity after the BUGA – the cable car remained, initially for a limited period until 2026.
The temporary operation is now to be made permanent. As the current valley station obstructs the view of the Romanesque St Castor’s Basilica and its connection to the Rhine, thus jeopardising the status of the ‘Middle Rhine Valley World Heritage Site’, the competition sought proposals for a new design.
Our design is characterised by simplicity and clarity. The serial arrangement of prefabricated frames creates a permeable, transparent structure and reduces the building volume to the geometric minimum. According to the different functional requirements – cashier and social areas, control centre and technical facilities – both stations are divided into three differentiated bodies and their uses are made visible. The viewer’s perception is constantly changing as he moves around – light and shadow, inward and outward views alternate, creating pleasantly lit spaces.
The mountain station is based on the same design principle – the overarching, design-defining framework structure unites the existing individual buildings into a single whole. Again, the three building volumes differ in size and function.
Special attention was paid to the durability and reusability of the materials used. A modular system of prefabricated, repetitive building elements, as well as the simplicity and detachability of the connection points, allow for disassembly and reuse. Local mineral aggregates reduce the CO2 emissions of the concrete components and match the colour of the surroundings. The roofs are greened and have a positive influence on the microclimate.
