Viamala Visitor Centre

Since spring 2014, it has been complemented by a new visitor centre designed by local architects Ivano Iseppi and Stefan Kurath. The former kiosk building and toilet facilities date back to the 1970s. The modern visitor centre only has a narrow long window due to the rockfall regulations against the cantonal road. A slightly asymmetrical gabled roof made of exposed concrete spans the approximately 40m2 sales area. While the building appears closed towards the road and the gorge, the south and north sides of the interior, which is finished in local wood, have large windows. Visitors now pass through the shop, past the cash desk and down the exposed staircase to the north of the building into the ravine. The path leads through an exhibition room in the basement. From there, visitors are led to the staircase built in 1903, which takes them back to the shop and the new visitor terrace after the tour. With around 60,000 paying visitors a year, the Viamala Gorge is a figurehead and a mainstay of regional tourism. Accordingly, improving orientation and the quality of the visitor experience were key maxims in the planning and realisation of the construction project. In parallel to the construction process, a specialist group with the assistance of Dr Roland Scheurer, a proven expert in the field of tourism offer development, developed a modular concept that focuses on archaic nature as the core value of the Viamala. Visitors to the gorge are deliberately not overwhelmed with information, but subtly encouraged to perceive the scenario on site with all their senses.