24.11.2021

"Gleis 0", the sports outlet in the railway station

The Andermatt vacation region surrounded by eight Alpine passes boasts a central location, untouched nature, and an incredible variety of tourist activities. The "Andermatt Swiss Alps" tourism project initiated by Egyptian multi-billionaire and investor Samih Sawiris over 10 years ago has established a premium tourist infrastructure. Sawiris erected several 4 and 5-star hotels, 42 apartment blocks, 25 villas, a sports and recreation center with an ice rink and indoor swimming pool, a concert and congress hall, an 18-hole golf course, and a variety of stores.

In summer 2020, Andermatt Sedrun Sport AG made the decision to offer its services for winter sports enthusiasts as part of an entirely new concept in the center of the railway station building, with direct entry to the ski resort. Due to the first lockdown, shortly after the start of the project it quickly became clear to the initiators that requirements in the tourism sector would change dramatically in the coming years.

A unique project.

The focus of the "Gleis 0" sports outlet was therefore on making ski rental an extremely fast, well-orga- nized process compliant with current hygiene and social distancing rules. At the same time, great emphasis was placed on maximum quality and value of the installed materials, as the aim was to integrate the project seamlessly into the perfect Andermatt tourist infrastructure. The Gleis 0 project is probably one of the very few projects in which all the planning could begin in the open countryside. It was a cost-effective opportunity to unite all experiences from the different areas of sports retail and rental. The tender for Gleis 0 left no doubt that the contractor desired a single supplier for the overall concept that would cover all areas, and using the latest digital technology.

This provided WINTERSTEIGER with the unique opportunity to plan all products such as the ski depot, ski rental, rental software, rental storage, and the workshop in one area. The store was designed by the architects to be very appealing, right down to the smallest detail, and also presented us with very special challenges. We were able to implement the project in record time in close collaboration with the architectural office.

Ski depot: Special design and xDry technology.

The special design of the ski depot is a real eye-catcher. The 400 storage lockers were designed with a metal look and left untreated. The depots feature the latest xDry technology that dries ski boots, gloves, and helmets using special nozzles in a way that is gentle on the material. The offering is completed with various accessories inside the locker. The depot can be booked online, in the store, or using the check-in terminal on site.

Smart rental process.

The rental process is organized in its Entirety by Easyrent and thefuture of rental system. At the heart of the process is Easygate, which guides customers through the rental process after check-in. This is being done online increasingly often. The monitors guide the flow of customers and therefore guarantee a quick and efficient process. In doing so, online reservations using "Fast Line" are prioritized. A quick foot scan guaran- tees a perfectly fitting ski boot, which is adapted to the binding in seconds using the Sizefit devices.

Ski service workshop with visible equipment.

The ski workshop is neither in the basement nor in a separate ad- joining room. It was important for the operators of 'Gleis 0' to demonstrate their ski service expertise and range of services, which is why the Discov- ery spd and all manual ski service machines and washing devices are located in the ski rental store - separat- ed only by a metal fence.