48 – City Link – The Wave – Discovering a Public Place on a Cycling Bridge

Project details

The Wave

Concept

The Wave concept represents the subtle movement of the water and the slow public passage through the Bridge. It suggests an oblique and slanted –also curvy- element in a still environment that encompasses potential action. The ephemeral qualities that are embodied in a bridge are accentuated by a soft skewing which respects the periodical phenomena of the city walk and the boat passing. It comments to an era of a non-monumental useful tool for the urban fabric. The Wave is a clear and straightforward functional public place with a twisted allegory on the ephemeron of modern society.

Operation

Program spaces are becoming a necessity and show respect to openness by being the hidden backbone of the Bridge. One major pillar is placed on each side of the openable area and the two parts work as metallic trusses bridging the two sides of the city. An easy operational system with winches opens the street for the boats and another optional floating one is designed to open manually on the water level. Thus, the people can walk through on two different levels and have many perceptions of the canal. In case this system is not employed the proposed belvederes are offering views from both sides of the bridge to the canal, not obscured by bicycles. On the other hand, a smooth and continuous bicycle move is featured on the upper level with a softly slanted track that signs the change of city-side. Bicycles can be parked or left on every level, but there is a gradient according to parking time, thus the upper level holds parked bikes for longer, lower (water) level for less time and main (middle) level for very short stays. Necessary mechanical and electrical equipments and the bridge lifting system are carefully housed below the roofs as seen on sections.

Aesthetics

The facades are also slightly wavy and made by white light structures with simple steel rectangular sections, white boat-like railing and protective meshes. The whiteness of the elements is proposing a diversion from the general color in the area related more with the sense of the water element. The Bridge can also be seen as another stationed boat in the canal that has just arrived or is ready to depart. All detailing is made to support that notion.

Info

Type: Competition, Commercial, Public
Program: Cycling and Pedestrian Bridge
Location: Copenhagen, Denmark
Year: 2020
Status: International Competition, Proposal
Size: 1,300 m2
Design Team: Marilena Tsevi, Dimitris Antoniou