Pininfarina : Design meets functionality. The new Leitner cableway station designed by Pininfarina

Turin, April 26 2017 -A successful new chapter begins in the long-standing partnership between LEITNER ropeways and Pininfarina, with the two companies collaborating once again to develop a newcableway station unveiled at Interalpin 2017 in Innsbruck.

The meeting between Pininfarina's design and technological innovation is renewed. With a concept

coherent with the aesthetic identity of the Symphony cabin launched by LEITNER ropeways in 2015 and also penned by Pininfarina, the Turin-based design house has created an equally iconic, sophisticated style for departure and arrival chair lift and cable car stations.

"Together with our long-standing partner LEITNER ropeways, we have conceived a station with a distinctive character. The new station Leitner is a brilliant example of design applied to architecture, and expresses to perfection our ability to combine an iconic design with technology to create a system which integrates harmoniously with the natural environment", said Group ChairmanPaolo Pininfarina.

The design of the new station is pure and essential, with curves expressing not only elegance but also dynamism and character. The two elements defining the geometry of the design - a solid band and the underlying glass panels - fuse form with function and allow the object to merge in synergy with the surrounding panorama.As with the Symphony, the distinctive feature of the station is the single, unbroken line running along the entire structure and conveying a sense of movement and bold dynamism. The colour of the band may be personalised to reflect the brand identity of the client operating the installation.

The design of the access steps also follows the same guidelines and consists of just a few essential elements. A sculptural yet technical and simple form creates a connection with the ground. A succession of horizontal lines separate from a single central element, blurring the perception of the steps as a separate structure to offer a broader vision of the object as a whole. The steps themselves are less steep than before, with a gradient of just 45°, improving ergonomics for the personnel working on the installation, while to further increase the safety of personnel, another element has been included behind the station, where the vehicles pass at very low speed.

With the new design, both the seats and the cabins are covered completely by the roof, which is wider than on the previous version of the station. This improves both comfort and safety for passengers. A new solution has also been devised for accessing the roof via one of the large frontal windows, which opens to allow the use of a ladder. The curved shape of the station prevents snow from building up on the windows. This means that the windows can be easily opened all year round. Completing the design is a new and more effective solution for draining water.