Ski jump, Zaha Hadid. Mt. Bergisel (Austria). 2002
Project type
The project, part of a wider-ranging redevelopment plan for the area incorporating sports and competition facilities, was made necessary by the need to replace an old ski jump that fails to meet today's standards.
But it was not merely a functional overhaul, as Zaha Hadid's structure produced a strong sign in the landscape, a landmark that cannot go unnoticed even in the dramatic snowy setting of Mt. Bergisel and the valleys below.
Cement and steel are the key materials in this spectacular construction consisting of a tower and a bridge. At the top, a glass "spaceship" offers breathtaking views over the mountains and valleys from 40 metres above the peak of Mt. Bergisel.
The view from the new ski jump right above the city runs right down the mountain slope. Two lifts take visitors to a café high above, from which they can see the athletes and the town below.
Seen from below, even from far away, the ski jump seems to project out over the void, as if it were about to take a running jump and wrap around itself. The result is a very dynamic form that strives for freedom and motion.
At the same time, the ski jump is also a "sculpture" moulded out of glass, cement and steel that entices onlookers to run their eyes over its gravity-defying forms.
The motion begins on the ground, where the surface of the ski jump meets the earth, and then moves up as far as the café 50 metres above. Here, a reticular truss below the ramp helps draw the structure's clean, simple, strong lines.
The ski jump reveals the hybrid nature of today's sporting structures, which are created to serve a specific function but also include secondary activities and a design that adds architectural value.Today the ski jump is considered the symbol of modern Innsbruck, dominating the city from the top of Mt. Bergisel with its fascinating lightweight form.
Laura Della Badia
www.bergisel.info
SHARE THIS
