Finalist

Haji Malang Funicular is a 1.2-kilometer hillside rail system designed to replace a 2.5-hour trek for 1.2 million annual pilgrims with a seven-minute ride. Nikhil Mahashur and Associates led the project’s architectural, structural, and execution work while facing a 33-degree basalt incline, shifting rock conditions, and a strict no-road construction mandate in an eco-sensitive zone.

Using Bentley Structural WorkSuite with STAAD.Pro, STAAD Foundation Advanced, and RAM Structural System, the team connected 3D verification, foundation redesign, and quantity planning. The approach reduced design verification time by 35%, saved 43% work hours, enabled a 7-minute journey, preserved 15,000 square meters of forest, reduced per-trip carbon emissions by 65%, and cut steel and concrete waste by 12%.