UNStudio’s design for amsterdam cable car references the city’s ports and ship cranes

UNStudio completes designs for the IJbaan, a one and a half kilometer cable car line connecting two amsterdam residential areas: amsterdam-west and amsterdam-noord / NDSM. for now, the design includes three towers and two stations, NDSM marina on the north bank and minervahaven on the south, a journey which will take 4.6 minutes to complete, however, the cable car’s flexible design allows the route to be expanded in the future. commissioned by the IJbaan foundation, and supported by the Municipality of Amsterdam, the project is set for completion by the 750th anniversary of amsterdam in 2025.

visuals by plompmozes

with the cable car project, UNStudio introduces fast, green and future-proof public transport connection in the city of amsterdam. each passenger cabin has a capacity of 32 to 37 passengers, with additional bicycle cabins for 4 to 6 bikes. the towers vary in height to allow for large ships to pass along the IJ waterway, reaching 46 to 105 meters on the two sides of the water and 136 meters in the middle. their sculptural form references amsterdam’s industrial past of ports and ship cranes, balancing between playfulness and elegance. the two cable car stations act as transportation hubs and meeting places, invigorating the surrounding areas. 

project info:

project: IJbaan

location: amsterdam the netherlands

status: design

architect: UNStudio, ben van berkel with arjan dingsté, jaap-willem kleijwegt and milou van min, juergen heinzel, dana behrman, bruno peris, pedro silva costa

advisor: arcadis 

client: stichting IJbaan