One of MSSM ASSOCIATES projects,

The site belongs to an area of multifunctional uses, such as residential, commercial, educational and cultural, hence most of the visitors are local residents, students and tourists. It is located between one of the main roads of the town with high traffic figures throughout the day, therefore the footbridge provides easy and direct access to the visitors from one side of the road to the other and simultaneously gives the opportunity to the users to experience the materials, multi-functionality and advanced design of both the bridge and its surrounding fields.

Continuity is the main design approach; the idea of a continuous surface made from a single material, which correlates harmonically with the floor material is dominant throughout the entire structure. Its form is as a purely minimalist surface initiated from the ground and forming the railing on both sides, which in turn is transformed into local canopies along the length of the footbridge thus cladding the whole structure. This Architectural language is being used to regulate the amount of daylight concentrating on the bridge, to allow for a range of viewing connections to the visitor and the urban environment and at the same time to provide to the visitor the opportunity to feel, touch, stare and sense the entire structure and its materials.

The deck width changes along the bridge, in a configuration which defines wider areas as concentration points, or areas of relaxation where the visitors can enjoy the view, interact with each other and collect information about the touristic and cultural spirit of the town. Accordingly, the narrower areas provide quicker and more regular flow of the crowd. The bridge can be reached either by stairs for quick transit or by ramps on both sides of the road, thus allowing access to people with reduced mobility.

Published in Parametric Structures & Design