architectural competition - chalais-briey-vercorin cable car

project owner:

municipality of chalais

programme:

construction of the lower, intermediate and upper cable car stations for chalais – briey – vercorin

dates:

competition, august 2017

chalais site

a new large town square provides the transition between the cable car and the roads leading to the village. this space which is designed to encourage interaction is enhanced by a small pond and includes the terrace of the cable car's restaurant.

This esplanade is linked to the cable car station by a generous sloping surface which easily organises the to and fro of a range of different users: people with suitcases, people with disabilities and mountain bikers will use the ramp, whereas mountaineers in a rush take the direct staircase.

this sloping area is also used as a seating area; a place to wait for the cable car while enjoying the sun and the view of the ruins of the chalesi tower and the square they face.

areas dedicated to operation of the cable car and car parks are concentrated to the north of the project area, in the immediate vicinity of the route de chippis. this ensures rational use of the land and frees up other plots of land for future development. the new car park on plot 5354 has been planted with trees and given a permeable surface (grassed paving stones).

briey site

the 12 parking spaces are located close to the vehicle access in order to minimise the impact of this development on this neighbourhood of single-family dwellings.

access to the cable car for pedestrians and people with disabilities is via a single path with a gradient of 6%. at the end of this path, access to the middle station is provided by a footbridge fitted with solid railings to ensure the safety of people who may be subject to light-headedness. this also makes it possible to protect the privacy of neighbouring houses.

the waiting area at the end of the route offers an uninterrupted view of the plain.

vercorin site

a bus turning area, surrounded by a bike shelter and a semi-underground bus shelter, constitutes the interface between the school complex and the village. the entrance to the cable car is visible from this area and can be reached by walking along the side of the school grounds. the existing house on plot 2495 could be constructively retained, although for operational reasons (traffic in the schoolyard, etc.) it would be preferable to demolish it.

materials

the same materials are used to unify the three sites and contribute to the identity of the whole project.

the façades are made of natural anodised aluminium. this material softens the impact of the building in its environment through a subtle interplay of shine and reflections.

in contrast to the outer shell, the interior is consistently finished in a dark colour in order to emphasise the wide openness of the structure onto the landscape and to harmonise the various complex elements of the technical structure.

this dark colour follows the passenger to each station via the cable car to create a link in the journey. the façade and roof construction system complies with fire standards, particularly for load-bearing cables.

acoustics

in order to comply with the federal noise protection ordinance, the noise emission report for the grimentz-zinal cable car shows that it is necessary to protect the immediate neighbours from the noise generated by the cable rolling through the stations (planning limit value of 55 db in daytime and 45 db at night).                     

The shape of the façade cladding provides ideal protection for the nearest buildings.

The shell is made up of walls that form a sound barrier of approximately 30 db and the perforated ceiling absorbs a large part of these emissions at source.