About stations tells Dezeen edition as part of a series of publications dedicated to parametric architecture.
Photo: Werner Huthmacher
The project was commissioned in 2005. The architects designed four stations — Loewenhaus, Hungerburg, Congress and Alpenzoo — as well as a 242-meter cable-stayed bridge over the Inn River. The main idea was to create a single architectural language for all objects along the route.
Photo: Werner Huthmacher
The stations' double-curved glass shells were inspired by Alpine glaciers, moraines and the movement of ice. The studio noted that research into natural phenomena helped shape the "fluid language of ice formations" that resemble a frozen mountain stream.
Photo: Werner Huthmacher
The canopy shapes were created using parametric digital tools, allowing each station to be adapted to the specific terrain, elevation, and slope of the route, while all structures remained part of a single formal system.
Photo: Helene Binet
The glass shells act as both the roof and the outer shell of the stations. The open interiors have a minimalist character with soft, flowing lines, and the structures themselves appear to float above the concrete platforms.
Photo: Werner Huthmacher
The canopies were constructed using 850 thermoformed glass panels. During construction, the team used automotive-grade technologies, including CNC milling and thermoforming, to accurately translate digital models into the actual structure.
Photo: Werner Huthmacher
The first station on the route is Congress, located at city level. It is connected to Loewenhaus by the Innbrücke bridge over the Inn River. The highest station is Alpenzoo, which provides access to the popular tourist attraction Alpenzoo Innsbruck. The route ends at Hungerburg, the station with the most "wing-like" shape, located at an altitude of 288 meters above the city.
Photo: Helene Binet
Construction took two years, and the stations were put into operation in December 2007. Today, the line carries about 800 passengers each year, combining the functions of public transport and a tourist attraction.
Photo: Helene Binet
Architectural critic Jonathan Glancy, after the project's opening, called the railway "a first-class work of art and engineering," emphasizing that it was created not only for practical use, but also for aesthetic effect.
In 2008, Nordpark Railway Stations was shortlisted for the prestigious Stirling Prize of the Royal Institute of British Architects.
Previously, we wrote that in Milan presented the project of the monastery of the future by Stefano Boeri Architetti.
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