Footbridge Awards 2014

The Smedenpoort (gateway of the blacksmiths), one of the four remaining heritage gateways to the city of Bruges, constructed in the 13th century had become a bottleneck, as it was too narrow to allow fluid traffic of cars, pedestrians and cyclists. Cars, bicycles and pedestrians competed for space during rush hour since the Smedenpoortis one of the important gateways to the city centre. The city of Bruges decided under the supervision of the Commission of Monuments and Landscapes to add new footbridges on both sides of the existing gateway.
In order to respect the historical value of the site, the footbridge structure was designed to be as slender and transparent as possible. They are intended to create something more akin to a promenade in the landscape than merely a bridge over water. The bridges are curved in plan, so that they ‘embrace’ the gateway; the use of multiple small columns reduces the span length, and the design of a parapet which acts as part of the structural system results in a more efficient use of material. This enables the dimensions of the elements to be reduced, creating a more transparent structure.
The structure consists of a lattice construction in weathering steel with concrete tiles forming the bridge deck. The use of solid steel bars and the choice of details are intended to reference the heritage craftsmanship of the blacksmith.
The southern footbridge is 62.7m long, and the northern one is slightly shorter at 57.2m long, whilst both being 2.5m wide and having a radius of 253.5m. Apart from the position of the abutments and the bracing, the two bridges are identical. The effective spans are reduced to just over 5m between each supporting column, which matches the spans of the existing bridge across the canal.