Award / Auszeichnung | 07/2014
Footbridge Awards 2014
©Stijn Bollaert
Vluchthaven Footbridge IJDock
Auszeichnung Kategorie “Short Span”
Bauingenieurwesen
Projektdaten
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Gebäudetyp:
Verkehr
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Projektgröße:
keine Angabe
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Status:
Realisiert
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Termine:
Fertigstellung: 01/2012
Projektbeschreibung
An artificial peninsula, as big as two soccer fields, is created near the Amsterdam Central Station. The IJDock peninsula holds an underground car park, the Palace of Justice, commercial spaces, a hotel and apartments. The initial question however was to create a marina near the city center. The moveable Vluchthaven footbridge will connect the peninsula with the Westerdoksdijk, while also giving access to the IJDock marina.
The design for the Vluchthaven footbridge provides for an object that stands out for its graciousness and oneness. In a departure from classical engineering, our concept was to limit the hierarchy of the elements by merging several functions together into one whole. The Vluchthaven bridge is an example of integral design: the deck, cross members, main beam and the finishes are one. The bridge is conceived as a continuous beam formed from a single curved and laser-cut plate.
Inspired by the elegant movement of a heron’s wing during flight, the plate is slightly twisted around its axis, representing the backbone of the bridge. As a result, the form of the bridge evolves: the cross-section at midspan is concave while the opposite happens above the supports, with a convex cross-section convex. This way the necessary structural height is achieved on supports.
Over a height of 15cm LEDs are embedded in resin at the base of each of the +1000 balusters. For safety reasons the client demanded that no bike can be fixed to the parapet of the bridge. To accommodate this demand, each of the balusters is independent. There is no horizontal hand rail. The absence of horizontal lines in the railing, additionally accentuates the shape of the bridge deck. This gives the entire bridge a calm and moderate rhythm.
The mobile part of the bridge has been designed integrally with the bridge. While closed it is hardly visible.
The waving shape of Vluchthaven bridge is admittedly modest, but sufficient to provide a visual experience and rhythm. The integral design of the bridge proves that innovative design often is effective both architecturally and economically.
The design for the Vluchthaven footbridge provides for an object that stands out for its graciousness and oneness. In a departure from classical engineering, our concept was to limit the hierarchy of the elements by merging several functions together into one whole. The Vluchthaven bridge is an example of integral design: the deck, cross members, main beam and the finishes are one. The bridge is conceived as a continuous beam formed from a single curved and laser-cut plate.
Inspired by the elegant movement of a heron’s wing during flight, the plate is slightly twisted around its axis, representing the backbone of the bridge. As a result, the form of the bridge evolves: the cross-section at midspan is concave while the opposite happens above the supports, with a convex cross-section convex. This way the necessary structural height is achieved on supports.
Over a height of 15cm LEDs are embedded in resin at the base of each of the +1000 balusters. For safety reasons the client demanded that no bike can be fixed to the parapet of the bridge. To accommodate this demand, each of the balusters is independent. There is no horizontal hand rail. The absence of horizontal lines in the railing, additionally accentuates the shape of the bridge deck. This gives the entire bridge a calm and moderate rhythm.
The mobile part of the bridge has been designed integrally with the bridge. While closed it is hardly visible.
The waving shape of Vluchthaven bridge is admittedly modest, but sufficient to provide a visual experience and rhythm. The integral design of the bridge proves that innovative design often is effective both architecturally and economically.