Virgl Mountain in Northern Italy
Snøhetta

Snøhetta‘s proposal for a new museum quarter in Bolzano will give “Oetzi the Iceman” a new home. The striking building is to be built on the prominent Virgolo/Virgl mountain above the South Tyrolean capital of Bolzano in northern Italy. Together with the planned Bolzano cable car, also designed by Snøhetta, the new museum quarter on the Virgl will serve as a terrace for the city’s residents. As a new landmark for the area, this elevated public space will continue to be perceived as part of the city due to its proximity to Bolzano’s city center and the accessible cable car connection.

The design study was commissioned by the Signa Group to develop Virgl as a potential site for a new museum quarter. The museum quarter is to house museum spaces for the South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology and the Bolzano City Museum, as well as exhibition spaces for Oetzi the Iceman. The 5,300-year-old glacier mummy is a well-known archaeological sensation, as the ice preserved the prehistoric man at an altitude of 3,210 metres. In 1991, Oetzi was accidentally found with his clothing and equipment intact, providing a unique insight into the life of a Copper Age man.

Due to its cultural and historical importance, prehistoric and Roman ruins and majestic green areas, Virgl has always been an important place in the capital of South Tyrol. But since the historic funicular closed in 1976, the steep Virgl Mountain has been largely inaccessible to tourists for almost four decades.

“The new Museum Quarter will create a synthesis of city and nature, history and future, architecture and landscape, culture, leisure and knowledge,” said Kjetil Trædal Thorsen, founding partner of Snøhetta. “Visitors can meet Ötzi the Iceman on Mount Virgl, one of the most important archaeological discoveries, a place full of history. You literally slide under the mountain’s skin and walk up to see the Iceman. Furthermore, with the new Virgl cable car and the Museum Quarter, a space of cultural importance and entertainment value will be created near the center of Bozen. “

The building blends into the surrounding terrain, extending the mountainous terrain. The slender museum building and the ring railway station form a single unit. From the train station, visitors can access both museums through the open roof space and shared foyer. The roof terrace of the station and the top of the New Museum Quarter building offer stunning views of the city and surrounding countryside, while also serving as a meeting place and arena. The square roof will serve as a living public space that can be used for events ranging from fairgrounds to concerts. The surrounding landscape is suitable for leisure activities such as walking, hiking or cycling.
With the planned construction of the cable car and the construction of the new museum district, Virgl Hill should become a cultural and leisure area for the people and tourists of Bolzano. With the new Museum Quarter, Bolzano will set a new landmark and reinforce the city’s international importance as a cultural destination.

competition-winning proposal

The project is featured in the exhibition ARCHIcommunity: Architecture for the Community 2023, Venice, Italy (link to the catalogue)