The challenge was how to connect the upper hill to the Market Place below. The twin glass lifts cut through the rocks, ‘bridge’ the two parts of the town. The lifts facilitate the transition from car-based transportation to transportation by bicycle, foot and wheelchair, improving access to the hill for everyone. Once you reach the top, one arm is a bridge link to the hill and the built-up area beyond. whilst the other arm points towards the town center below, descending into a viewing platform only stopped by a wide sheet of glass with panoramic views over the townscape.

The lifts are reached from an existing tunnel connecting the Market Place and the Railway Station. A shaft was blasted through the rocks to form the lift shaft. When the lifts emerge above ground, the shaft continues as an open steel structure supporting the bridge. The shaft, the bridge and the lifts are illuminated so that the structure always appears attractive. The steel structure hides the integrated lighting, thus avoiding light pollution.

The lifts improve the mobility, connecting two parts of the town, strengthening the quality of public space and urban life. This is an example of how to solve an urban infra structural challenge in a new way, without cars and roads.