Designing the Experience

Today, the trip from the valley to the top of a mountain is not just transportation. It is part of the exciting skiing or hiking experience. In addition, ropeways have become symbols for innovation and performance for touristic mountain regions. Therefore the design of the new Schmittenhoehe gondolas needed to deviate from conventional “boxy” aesthetics and offer fantastic views at the same time.

For this reason, the new gondolas for the Schmittenhöhebahn were also to move away from the traditional ‘boxy’ design with small windows and instead offer magnificent views of the mountain landscape. The biggest challenge was the quantity of ‘2’. This meant: no economies of scale in production, manufacturing conditions akin to those for a one-off piece, and no spherically curved glass. So how could one move away from the classic rectangular shape?

The brilliant idea was a pebble-like shape from which the glass surfaces are cut away cleanly. What remains is an open structure with a sculpturally interesting yet simple form, capable of outlasting the gondolas’ decades-long lifespan. The floor-to-ceiling openings are fitted with flat glass and offer magnificent views of the surrounding mountains.