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UNStudio selected to design cable car system between Russia and China

A design by Dutch architect UNStudio has been selected for the world’s first international cable car, which will link northern China and eastern Russia over the Amur River.

The Blagoveshchensk scheme was announced last week (https://www.globalconstructionreview.com/news/russia-and-china-start-work-worlds-first-internati/) as a way to encourage people in Heihe in China and Blagoveshchensk in Russia to visit each other’s cities.

The project will have two lines and four cabins, each capable of accommodating 60 passengers and their luggage.

UNstudio’s design includes an elevated platform with views over the Amur towards Heihe.

The Blagoveshchensk Terminal will be connected to a nearby park, offering a green space for onlookers sending off or greeting visitors.

The architect’s design was inspired by the freezing of the Amur River, which helped drive trade between the two cities. UNstudio said in a press release: "Much like the ice on the river, the building becomes an engine for creating social connections between two cultures and a beacon for a joint prosperous future between the two nations."

Ben van Berkel, UNStudio’s founder, said: "Cable car systems provide a form of public transport that is sustainable, extremely fast, reliable and efficient. 

"Although primarily a pragmatic solution, cable cars are also a very congenial way to travel as they enable us to see and experience our cities in a whole new way.

"This context provided rich inspiration for the Blagoveshchensk terminal station, which not only responds to its immediate urban location but also becomes an expression of cultural identity and a podium for the intermingling of cultures."

The cable car is due to be operational in the first quarter of 2021.

Images courtesy of UNStudio/PYXID

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