Eccentric bus shelter closed for health and safety reasons

An eccentric bus stop created by Japanese architect Sou Fujimoto in Krumbach, Austria, has been closed to the public because it doesn't "follow the Austrian regulations for building safety".



Bränden bus stop, one of seven architect-designed shelters in the tiny Vorarlberg village, is made of a cluster of slender steel rods that support a winding wooden staircase and balcony. But a small chain barrier now blocks access to the stairs, with a sign that reads "This is a work of art. Do not enter."

Sou Fujimoto designed the structure as part of the Kultur Krumbach initiative. Curated by Dietmar Steiner, director of Vienna architecture museum Architekturzentrum Wien, the project was developed to promote tourism in the picturesque Bregenzerwald district. According to Steiner, the new safety warning is just a precaution and can be ignored. "It's about the liability for possible accidents.



"The village cannot take over the responsibility for this because the construction - the stairs and the railings - do not follow the Austrian regulations for building safety," he said. He added that people have continued to climb up the stairs, ignoring the sign, and that the construction is stable enough that this is safe. "That's also a typical Austrian tradition - we have rules and regulations, but we don’t always follow them," he added.