ARCHITECTURAL FOCUS
The bridge will form a focal showpiece of a 14-hectare regeneration for the event .
will weather naturally over time . The inner , pedestrian facing surfaces are clad in native timber slats with integrated lighting and handrails .
Ingenieurbüro Miebach and Moxon won the project in an invited competition in 2019 , and the timber bridge adds to both practices rich bridge portfolios ; Moxon ’ s includes a pair of bridges over the Regents Canal for the King ’ s Cross regeneration in London , a pedestrian swing bridge at Greenwich Reach in London and the recently completed meandering footbridge along the Thames Path beneath the existing Barnes Bridge at Chiswick , UK .
Ezra Groskin , director at Moxon Architects said : “ Balingen Footbridge demonstrates not just the aesthetic and structural potential of timber in place of steel in bridge-building , but the carbon that can be sequestered . Through offsetting the concrete going into the abutments , timber allows you to create a more sustainable piece of infrastructure , that , with the correct maintenance , can last as long as any steel structure .
Working with a world-leading engineer fully committed to timber structures , and a town which prioritises the delivery of sustainable infrastructure , has been an inspiring and informative process . We are excited to bring the experience and knowledge gained through this European collaboration back to the UK , where we are optimistic it can inform our approach to designing both bridges and buildings .’
Frank Miebach , director at Ingenieurbüro Miebach added : “ The big challenge in this project was working within the structural limitations that such a pared-back , elegant aesthetic can impose . Thanks to the excellent exchange with the architects , we were able to give the simple structural form of a trough bridge a unique typology . We were able to implement our premise for good structural wood protection in an appealing way through the inclined girders . This shows that together we can interpret wood in a contemporary way for bridges , and hope to herald a paradigm shift .
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