High demolition costs vs. real estate development
On the Gornergrat above Zermatt stands a gondola station that has been unused for years. Built in the 1950s, the gondola connection no longer fit into the mountain environment. This gave rise to the question of its future use. The first architecture and design competition did not produce a solution. The concepts ranged from an Alpine museum to a gallery. In the second round, we participated as ICT AG and brought in a completely different approach. We placed the observation of the Matterhorn at the centre. Every visitor should have the opportunity to experience the Matterhorn, even if the weather conditions do not actually allow it.
The location of the Matterhorn and its iconic shape are visually unique. But only a few climbers get really close to the Matterhorn. This inherently exclusive experience is at the heart of the concept. The experience was designed in the conception phase with visual passive and interactive elements. The media playback was to take place discreetly in the background. The integration of architecture, interior design and exhibits pays tribute to the mountain environment. In this respect, sustainability and closeness to nature were the inspiration for the design, the materials and the execution of the building's interior. The content and interaction concept is based on this. In addition to the business case, the planning elements also included the media technology and structural implementation, which has some special requirements at an altitude of over 3,000 metres.
All information on "Zooom - The Matterhorn" can be found here.
