# Innovative Cable Railway Off the Rails Austrian Design by Zaha Hadid By cayce_p | Published 2008-02-21 | Art & Design Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/off-the-rails-innovative-cable-railway-by-zaha-hadid-in-austria References: [arcspace](http://www.arcspace.com/architects/hadid/nordpark/nordpark.html) & [zaha-hadid](http://www.zaha-hadid.com) Climbing the picturesque [Austrian mountains](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/selfsufficient-bivouac), and crossing the River Inn, the stunning new [cable railway](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/dongdan-grassland-sea-ruins-station) in Innsbruck (opened December 1st) features doubly curved glass, sweeping, [fluid forms](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/czech-pavilion) and designer Hadid's signature 'fluid' expression. Architect Zaha Hadid explains "we wanted each station to use the fluid language of natural ice formations, like a frozen stream on the mountainside.” **Implications** - Railroads have not traditionally been given much attention in terms of aesthetically appealing design, but architects and designers like Zaha Hadid are changing that. With a renewed interest in aesthetics among designers and consumers, architectural and city design have become as much about beauty as they have about function. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 1.9/10 - Popularity: 37% | Activity: 11% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America, Europe, Asia ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Art & Design](https://www.trendhunter.com/artdesign) > [Design](https://www.trendhunter.com/design) ## Key Themes ### Why This Trend Is Growing - **Aesthetically-driven Design:** Architects and designers are prioritizing aesthetics in traditionally utilitarian industries like railroads, creating disruptive innovation opportunities - **Nature-inspired Architecture:** Designers are drawing inspiration from natural elements, such as ice formations, to create unique architectural expressions - **Integration of Beauty and Function:** Architectural and city design are now focusing on both aesthetics and functionality, transforming the way we perceive and interact with our built environments ### Industries Being Reshaped - **Architecture and Design:** Innovative architectural designs are disrupting traditional industry standards and sparking consumer interest in unique and visually appealing structures - **Transportation:** The transportation industry, particularly railroads, is experiencing a shift towards aesthetically pleasing and visually striking designs - **Urban Planning and City Design:** The integration of beauty and functionality in architectural and city design is transforming the way cities are planned and developed, creating more visually appealing and livable spaces ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Warehouse-Converted Ferry Terminals](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/ropax-ferry.md) - [Mountaintop Viewpoint Ski Resorts](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/trojena.md) - [Ribbon-Like Dynamic Structures](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/capital-international-exhibition.md) - [Sweeping Culture Centers](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/river-culture-and-art-centre.md) - [Harmonious Cityscape Monorails](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/hk-monorail-concept.md) - [River-Inspired Train Interiors](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/tgv-inoui.md) - [Terraced Urban Landmarks](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/go-park-sai-sha.md) - [Taiwan Coastal Bridges](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/the-danjiang-bridge.md) - [Panoramic Open-Air Roof Trains](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/electric-train.md)