The struggles of the third battle of Mt. Isel on 13 August 1809 are spectacularly presented on over one thousand square metres of canvas. The panorama illustrates the real story behind the Tyrolean legend. Landscapes and people, the irrepressible urge for freedom and the powerful longing to push forward to the heavens. The gigantic painting is one of only four worldwide that remains nearly complete and unchanged in its original format and is one of the most popular attractions in Innsbruck.

In order to move it from its original location in the rotunda at the foot of the Hungerburgbahn funicular railway, the panorama was opened along a seam; later it was wrapped in a huge, specially constructed transport roll with the painted side facing outward.  The roll was covered in plastic, loaded onto a 17 metre articulated lorry and transported to its new home at a cautious 20 km/h – pure suspense for lorry driver Rene Mair from Kufstein – the most valuable cargo he had ever transported was insured to the tune of 2.5 million euros, according to the Kronen Zeitung newspaper on 11 September 2010.

The crane operators needed nerves of steel as well: The 12 metre long piece had to be lifted lengthwise through a 2 x 2 metre opening in the roof of the building. Six men with walkie-talkies coordinated the efforts to lift the painting. The panorama reached its new location in under 10 minutes.

Constructing the museum was also a very demanding endeavour in more ways than one – the special topographic landscape, how the location on Mt. Isel is situated and the connection to the historically listed Kaiserjägermuseum required sure instincts. In addition, the lower half of the building features a round layout that perfectly showcases the panorama in its original beauty. “Tyroleans are accustomed to building on hillsides,” reports ALPINE construction engineer Elmar Leitner. “However, a round building with a great deal of exposed concrete is still a challenge.” The building has a 102 meter perimeter, is 16 metres tall and features a subterraneous link to the existing historic construction. It forms an ensemble together with the existing old building and the centrally located Andreas Hofer monument.

The opening celebration for the Tyrolean Panorama will take place on 12 March 2011.

>> Tyrolean State Museum
>> Bergisel
>> Tyrolean Panorama Opening Ceremony Programme

Video:

The restoration

The move

Image: Tyrolean State Museums / Creator: mmdesign

Learn more about the topic of art and building in the 2/2010 issue of our company magazine INSIDE.