The two stations for a 1.5 km long passenger ropeway connecting Dharamshala to Mcleodganj in Himachal Pradesh is a Green field project for TATA Realty Ltd. The project has been designed for a 3-star GRIHA rating. The Lower terminal station (LTP) at Dharamshala is at an altitude of 1346m while the Upper terminal station (UTP) at Mcleodganj is at 1715m.
The Ropeway caters to roughly 1000 persons per hour. It allows people to park and travel in Gondolas, thus avoiding vehicular traffic on the 12km road leading to Mcleodganj. The parking and other services have been restricted to the basement and mezzanine levels. The ground floor has ticketing, a lounge and waiting connected to a food court that overlooks the picturesque Himalayas in the background. Boarding/Deboarding is on the upper level with restricted entry under a huge sloping roof.
Upper terminal point (UTP)
The UTP is built on a steep hill which was challenging as Himachal Pradesh comes under earthquake Zone V. The building is along the sloping road which takes one to the Dalai Lama’s temple complex. It is adapting to the slope of the road at different levels. The services are below the road level. The upper ground floor has ticketing services along with boarding and deboarding. It has a large food court overlooking the valley below. The upper floors are commercial areas and restaurants offering a breathtaking view. The external façade lives up to the typical Tibetan style architecture with colorful designs and motifs above the entrance porch and columns. The red sheet roofing and the yellow band all around the windows add richness to this traditional-style creating a bond with the temple nearby.
