The goal of the project was to create an experience inspired by the best memory that CIID students had of Bergamo up to that point. We chose to recreate the Bergamo Funicular, a cable car that allows people to travel from the lower part of the city up to the historic centre.
The aim was to convey the sense of surprise and anxiety experienced by the students' emotions that an adventure such as arriving at CIID in Italy can evoke.
The funicular travels along a narrow, dark route that lasts only a short time, but because it moves very slowly, it feels as if it goes on forever. At the end of the journey, it reaches the station located in the medieval centre of Bergamo which, being at the top of the hill, offers an incredible open view over the city, seemingly endless. This mirrors the same emotional journey the students experienced during their flight: the anxiety and fear of starting something new and far from home, followed by their arrival in Bergamo and the discovery of the vast possibilities ahead.
The first part of the experience involved asking visitors to close their eyes and guiding them into a dark, enclosed room, where the entire funicular route was projected onto a wall, accompanied by loud sounds and elements of discomfort. Once they reached the “destination”, visitors were guided outdoors, facing the Astino landscape, where they were given symbolic gadgets such as a gelato and a spritz, iconic elements representing an Italian-style “reward”.
The process that led us to build this experience was complex. At first, we believed that recreating the funicular experience would be enough, but when we were asked to introduce stronger emotional layers into the project, we began to understand the importance of the human aspect behind every project. This realisation has since accompanied us through every new challenge.
