The Twist Bridge Over the Vlaardingse Vaart, Netherlands

The Twist Bridge Over the Vlaardingse Vaart, Netherlands

Spanning roughly 42 meters, this bicycle and pedestrian bridge called ‘The Twist’ bridge for its contorted and sculptural lines, connects the Holy-Zuid district and the Broekpolder over Vlaardingse Vaart in The Netherlands. The visitor enters the bridge through a rectangular frame, while the space evolves dynamically into a double-height diamond-shaped tube, through the bridge’s centre. Constructed largely onsite, prefabricated in a temporary shed, the bridge was made of 400 steel tubes, welded together, galvanized and painted red for maximum visual effect.

The bridge’s strong three-dimensional character not only adds to the design’s expressiveness, but also has functional purposes. Made of square steel elements it twists on a horizontal axis, and the constantly changing sections are the perfect format to absorb vibrations, thus reinforcing the bridge’s movement, when a cyclist crosses.

The bridge was designed by West 8 Architects with structural engineers ABT.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Photo credit, Photo credit, Photo credit, Photo credit, Photo credit, Photo credit, Source: 1, 2

 

About these ads