Your mission: to reach the summit of Gaislachkogl mountain. Once there, find the home of a striking new exhibition dedicated to 007, built into the peak overlooking the Austrian Alps in a structure resembling a Bond villain’s lair.
Due to open on July 12, 007 Elements is an immersive attraction that places visitors inside the world of one of cinema’s favourite action heroes, celebrating the work of Bond set designer Sir Ken Adams and behind-the-scenes footage from the films. Also on display are film props and interactive exhibits that “that places visitors inside the world of 007”.
The Gaislachkogl ski resort in Sölden was one of the locations for Spectre, the 24th Bond film released in 2015, which featured an impressive chase scene shot over five weeks on the mountain, featuring an aircraft and a fleet of Range Rovers.
Filming also took place at the futuristic Ice-Q restaurant, which became the Hoffler Klinik in the film, which is next to the new installation.
Austrian architect Johann Obermoser – who designed Ice-Q and also the cable car station that takes visitors to the summit – took inspiration from Bond villain lairs when designing the exhibition space, a stark, contemporary structure built into the mountaintop. Only the entrance, exit, two windows and a viewing plaza are visible from the outside.
Speaking to Architectural Digest, Obermoser described the challenges of building at altitude: “The permafrost at this elevation, the geological fault lines, and the exposed location on the peak created huge challenges during the build,” he said.
“The snowfall prevented us from getting vehicles to the site, so we ended up having to fly the concrete in by helicopter.”