{"id":22987,"date":"2026-03-02T13:28:34","date_gmt":"2026-03-02T13:28:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/22987\/"},"modified":"2026-03-02T13:28:34","modified_gmt":"2026-03-02T13:28:34","slug":"italian-alpine-peak-topped-with-star-shaped-cable-car-station","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/22987\/","title":{"rendered":"Italian Alpine peak topped with star-shaped cable car station"},"content":{"rendered":"

Milan-based Studio di Architettura De Carlo Gualla has created the Stella di Pila cable car<\/a> station with panoramic views of the Italian Alps<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Surrounded by mountains at a height of\u00a02,723 metres, the cable car station, which tops the Aosta-Pila-Couis Gondola, was designed to be a landmark within the Alpine landscape of the Aosta Valley region.<\/p>\n

\"StellaStudio di Architettura De Carlo Gualla designed the Stella di Pila cable car station<\/p>\n

“The project explores how a cable car station can become a spatial experience rather than a purely technical object,” Studio\u00a0di Architettura\u00a0De Carlo Gualla<\/a> co-founder Andrea Gualla\u00a0told Dezeen.<\/p>\n

“Large infrastructure inevitably alters the landscape,” he continued. “Our ambition was to avoid a purely functional intervention and instead create a structure capable of generating identity and spatial meaning \u2013 something that feels intentional within its environment rather than anonymous or imposed.”<\/p>\n

\"CableIt tops the Aosta-Pila-Couis Gondola<\/p>\n

The cable car station has a distinct, jagged form that was informed by the shape of the edelweiss Alpine\u00a0flower.<\/p>\n

Its points were arranged to create views from the cable car station to the surrounding peaks, which include Mont Blanc and the Matterhorn.<\/p>\n

\"StellaThe station was designed to be a landmark<\/p>\n

“The geometry emerged from thinking about orientation and views,” explained Gualla.<\/p>\n

“Inspired by the edelweiss and the logic of a compass rose, each ‘petal’ is aligned with a specific peak.”<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Top<\/p>\n

Sn\u00f8hetta places shingle-clad viewing tower on mountain peak in Austria\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

“The building opens toward Gran Paradiso, Grande Rousse, the Rutor Glacier, Mont Blanc and Grand Combin \u2013 among the tallest and most iconic mountains in the Alps,” he continued.<\/p>\n

“A cantilevered petal extends outward as a viewing platform, projecting into the void and framing a direct view toward the Matterhorn.”<\/p>\n

\"StellaIt’s form was informed by an edelweiss flower<\/p>\n

The cable car station and public toilets occupies two of the building’s seven, pointed petals, while the rest of the building contains a panoramic restaurant and bar.<\/p>\n

The kitchen was placed at the centre of the building surrounded by the curved bar, snack bar and self service counters.<\/p>\n

\"RestaurantThe restaurant has views across the alps<\/p>\n

Seating extends from this central food service area into the pointed petals, which have ceilings that rise to take advantage of the mountain views.<\/p>\n

All the walls are fully glazed a balcony surrounding the space contains outdoor seating. A mezzanine level above the kitchen contains additional indoor seating.<\/p>\n

\"StellaThe restaurant is wrapped around a central kitchen<\/p>\n

While having creating a distinct, recognisable form was a key consideration for Studio di Architettura De Carlo Gualla, the studio also had to create long-lasting building that would function within the mountainous conditions.<\/p>\n

“At 2,750 metres, climate and logistics are not constraints to work around, but forces that actively shape the architecture,” said Gualla.<\/p>\n

“The challenge was to create something robust enough to withstand extreme conditions while retaining clarity, precision and visual lightness.”<\/p>\n

\"CableThe cable car station occupies two of the building’s petals<\/p>\n

According to the architecture studio, sustainability was “embedded throughout the project”, which uses grey water and rainwater recovery.<\/p>\n

“In this context, sustainability is inseparable from longevity,” said Gualla. “The replacement of obsolete lift systems improves efficiency while supporting a more continuous, year-round use of the site.”<\/p>\n

\"StellaIt has a star shape from above<\/p>\n

Other architecturally interesting lift buildings in the alps include a station with an angular timber viewing tower designed by Sn\u00f8hetta<\/a> and a station perched on top of Mount G\u00fctsch by Studio Seilern Architects<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The photography is by Andrea Martiradonna.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Milan-based Studio di Architettura De Carlo Gualla has created the Stella di Pila cable car station with panoramic…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":22988,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[50,14768,309,494,6353,14769,310],"class_list":{"0":"post-22987","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-alps","8":"tag-alps","9":"tag-cable-cars","10":"tag-italy","11":"tag-sectionall","12":"tag-sectionarchitecture","13":"tag-sectionexclusives","14":"tag-skiing"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22987","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=22987"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22987\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/22988"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=22987"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=22987"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=22987"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}