​Gothenburg Cable Car: The Winning Design Proposal

A jury has selected the winning proposal for the station and tower design for the planned cable car. The proposal, entitled New Beacons, was submitted by the Amsterdam-based architectural and design firm UNStudio and the Gothenburg-based Kjellgren Kaminsky Architecture.

• New Beacons is the proposal that most convincingly unites architectonic excellence with functional demands. It combines poetry and playfulness with flexibility and development potential, says Lena Dübeck, jury chair and head of the urban environment division of the City of Gothenburg Urban Transport Administration

   

  (Trafikkontoret).

The competition was organized by the City of Gothenburg in collaboration with Västtrafik AB and the Swedish Association of Architects. Four pre-qualified teams submitted proposals during the fall of 2017. These were exhibited to members of the public both online and at exhibitions around Gothenburg. Now, on February 8, the jury – with representatives from each of the three organizers – has named the proposal from UNStudio and Kjellgren Kaminsky Architecture the winner.

“Tower design especially convincing”

• The New Beacons proposal has a thoroughly worked-out design concept for stations and towers alike, of which the tower design is especially convincing, says Dübeck.

A total of four stations and six towers, some as high as 100 meters, are planned. Terminal stations would be placed at Järntorget and Wieselgrensplatsen with intermediate stations at Lindholmen and west of Ramberget Hill.

What happens to the winning proposal now?

• It will be incorporated into our continued planning, and the winning team will be involved in those plans. But we can’t say with certainty today that the towers and stations will look exactly like the proposal, says jury chair Dübeck.

Overall status of the cable car project

A feasibility study is being prepared covering all aspects of the planned cable car. It is expected to be complete in the summer of 2019.

In parallel, the City Planning Authority is drawing up new detailed development plans, which are also a prerequisite for any construction. An important aspect of this work is the cable car design and how it relates to existing and planned construction along the cable car route.

The final decision to invest in the construction of the cable car will be taken by the Gothenburg City Council, probably in the summer of 2019.

The cable car was originally suggested by Gothenburgers in anticipation of the city’s 400-year jubilee in 2021, and is one of many ventures to mark the occasion.

Illustrations can be downloaded here

The Jury Statement can be found here

FAQ about the Architectural Design Competition can be found here

Text: Anders Sahlberg