Railway Infrastructure as new public space: Underpass Vrtača connects Nova Gorica and Gorizia

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 symbollic and functional point of connection.