High-altitude Hoven Gondol is fire-safe thanks to Firescreen®
The 1011 metre high mountain station of the Hoven Gondol cable car in the Norwegian town of Loen boasts a unique restaurant with open kitchen and panoramic views over the fjords. That makes it a very special experience for guests, but building it posed a special challenge with regard to fire safety and transporting materials. In cooperation with the local partner, Firescreen® delivered a solution of the highest level.
The challenge
Fire safety has to be taken very seriously when designing a restaurant, as there are lots of people present in a relatively small space. The addition of an open kitchen and frequent naked flames is an extra challenge. However, for the Hoven Gondol restaurant, there was another dimension to think about. The restaurant is located at an altitude of 1011 metres, and can only be reached by a difficult path or cable car.
Fire safety was therefore a major point of concern during the design, because escape routes are limited, and emergency services can’t reach the spot easily. In cooperation with the local Firescreen® partner, we looked at how the risk of fire could be kept as low as possible without this impacting significantly on the design.
The solution
Because of the increased risk posed by the open kitchen and limited escape route options, the costumer opted for the highest fire safety possible with Firescreen® Temperature fire curtains. By concealing the overhead cabinet in the ceiling, the impact on the design was minimised and the appearance of the open kitchen guaranteed. However, if a fire does break out in the kitchen, the escape route from the restaurant to the outside is guaranteed, even though it runs directly past the kitchen.
Finally, the logistical challenges of transportation to a height of 1011 metres without decent roads was looked at, but here again Firescreen® proved to be the best solution. The small dimensions and weight compared to other products of the same safety category made the costumer’s decision to work together with Firescreen® and the local partner an obvious one.
