Design Responses > About Parking Facilities > Case Studies >
Transport Interchange
Biceberg (Barcelona ES)

Biceberg is an automated underground bike park. It is a cycle storage system based on the concept of an iceberg, where bicycles are stored out of sight below ground level. It has a small part of its installation at ground level, which is the main public presence of the facility and is the point of user interface for cyclists delivering and collecting their bikes to the parking system. It is designed as a system that can either be installed ‘stand-alone’, or integrated into existing underground cavities, such as car parks etc. The company state that 92 bicycles can be stored in space typically allocated to 4 cars in an underground car park. There is a charge to use the facility plus a monthly service charge of €6. The rate is €0.30 per hour or €0.15 per hour for members of the Physical Activity Service. Other Bicebergs are usually free.

Provider
MA-Sistemas, S.L.

Designer / Architect
Jaime Palacios

Cost of provision
• Cost of installation/ build (not use)
46 bikes - €120,000
69 bikes - €135,000
92 bikes - €150,000
(based on costs of facilities installed in Spain)

Strengths
• Very secure against theft
• The bicycle can be taken out fast (an average of 30 seconds)
• In shopping areas, areas with sporting facilities etc where it is free, it is a good option for bicycle parking

Weaknesses
• Relatively high installation costs (until now)
• The system needs an ongoing management structure to remotely monitor and maintain the hardware and software

Useful References
www.biceberg.es
www.youtube.com/watch?v=TAr64tk8i-E
www.youtube.com
www.bacc.info