Architect - Zaha Hadid (Part I) - The Hungerburg Funicular, Innsbruck, Austria

 

I'm a great fan of Zaha Hadid - an architect who is as fervently practical as she is aesthetic.
In the true spirit of her signature free-form architecture, Zaha Hadid has created a dramatic structure at the Hungerberg Funicular in Innsbruck, Austria. Most notable of the project is the striking translucent white glass canopy structures with flowing lines at the entrance of the funicular facility. To me, it resembles a collapsing snowdrift, frozen in time. The challenge was to discreetly illuminate the glass from within, to create the semblance of floating on air.

The lighting design, however, was what truly made the project dramatic - courtesy of Zumtobel. They took advantage of the curved surfaces to take advantage of the light and dark play. The handrails were also custom-designed by Zumtobel, where the LEDs were integrated into the hardware of the handrails. LEDs are recessed into the concrete walls. Composed of a combination of metal halide lamps and LEDs, the overall light plan of the project helps create a dreamlike quality.

With the incorporation of LED lighting, the quality and purity of the light was enhanced, while reducing the overall power consumption.