Nova Gorica Railway Station Redevelopment and Underpass Vrtača by SADAR+VUGA

In 2025, the two bordering cities, Nova Gorica (Slovenia) and Gorizia (Italy), jointly hold the title of European Capital of Culture. This symbolic and operational alliance is redefining the connection between the cities, where the encounter of two languages, cultures, and traditions intertwines and shapes new, shared ways of life. The project – the renovation of part of the Transalpina railway station building and the redevelopment of the Nova Gorica railway area, including reconfiguration of the tracks, construction of a new island platform, refurbishment of the side platform, and creation of the Vrtača underpass – physically embodies the connection between two once-divided cities.

The historic Transalpina Station, has long symbolized separation, with the borderline just meters away at Piazza Transalpina, is now a symbolic and functional point of connection. Just months after opening, the Vrtača Underpass has already established itself as a vital public link. The area around the station has become an active hub of everyday urban life – full of cyclists, commuters, and visitors, not only crossing the tracks, but moving from one city to another – effortlessly, openly, and without borders.