Commissioned to renovate a 1970s hotel in Gran Canaria, the firm decided to address its unique location, 183 meters above sea level, by installing a funicular system. Choosing this transit system because it presented the possibility of spreading an ecological blanket also over the old roof, where obsolete uses and services have been replaced. Overall, the project sought to put special emphasis on the building’s sustainability.

The new facilities include the funicular machinery, grounds for planting, and swimming pools that help reduce energy needs through the exchange that takes place between the heat of the water masses and the air conditioning systems, contributing to the ventilation and cooling of the interior spaces. Energy consumption inside the hotel is substantially diminished.

Crowning the hill of Mogán, the funicular, with its 42º incline, manages to connect the hotel’s various levels, ensuring general accessibility. To enhance the user’s experience, the commission included designing the car and all its details, from the buttons to press to the grab handles. The curved and flat glass surfaces have varying degrees of transparency and are tinted yellow. Resting on successive terraces, the triangulated metal structure holds up the six footbridges that lead to the hotel’s different levels. They present metal grilles and blue carpeting that seeks to connect with the sky, resulting in an adimensional experience.

The project was recently named best inclined lift in Elevator World’s 22nd Annual Project of the Year Awards, considered the most important international accolade in the sector of transport and mobility in architecture.