MOUNTAIN HIGH

The new museum for the city was proposed by Snøhetta and aims to be constructed on top of the Virgl Mountain, overlooking the town below. The complex has been imagined as a thriving public terrace for the city’s inhabitants and tourists and will still be perceived as part of the city due to its proximity to the Bolzano city centre. The cable car structure, also designed by Snøhetta, will provide easy access to the area. It is estimated that with the cable car, the top of Virgl Mountain could potentially be reached in about seven minutes from the city centre.

Snøhetta on behalf of the Signa Group conducted the design study on the space as a potential site for the museum quarter. The complex will accommodate museum spaces for the South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology and the municipal Museum of Bolzano, in addition to exhibition spaces for Ötzi the Iceman — an extremely famous 5300-year old ice preserved glacier mummy who was found in 1991 with his clothing and equipment still intact.

“The new museum quarter will create a synthesis of city and nature, of history and future, of building and landscape, of culture, leisure and knowledge,” said Kjetil Trædal Thorsen, founding partner of Snøhetta. “Visitors can meet Ötzi the Iceman, one of the most important archaeological discoveries, on top of the Virgl Mountain — a place with a historic atmosphere. They will literally slip under the skin of the mountain, entering it to see the Iceman. In addition, the new Virgl cable car system and the museum quarter will provide spaces of cultural significance and recreational value next to the city centre of Bolzano.”

The museum is envisioned as an extension of the mountain terrain, with the building seamlessly blending into the surrounding topography. The elongated museum structure and greenspace, together with the ring-shaped cable station, form a collaborative structure. Visitors can enter through an open space on the roof and a foyer.

The roof terrace of the station and the top of the new museum quarter building will provide views of the city and the surrounding landscape, and will act as a vibrant public space. This area will serve as both a meeting point and an arena and can be used for a wide range of events. The surrounding landscape will be developed for leisure activities such as walking, hiking, or biking.

The museum aims to be a landmark for the city, creating a thriving multi-use precinct that will provide spaces for a wide range of educational, leisure and recreational activities for the city and it’s visitors.