bridge venlo

client: maasboulevard Venlo
location:  Venlo
program: bridge across the old harbour
realization: 2007 (design competition)

The new bicycle and pedestrian bridge connects the old city center with the new park on the other side of the old harbor. The contrasts between city and nature, hard - soft, stony - green, that exist between these two areas are the inspiration for the design of the bridge.

The bridge stands over the old harbor like a gate and welcomes boats, pedestrians and cyclists. When entering the bridge, the suggestion is made that the profile of the old city streets will be continued. Two structural steel discs are spaced 6 meters apart. The trusses are perforated with a pattern of circles and squares and lined with a perforated, shiny steel plate, gradually increasing the diameter of the perforations towards the park. The open structure is a reference to the light that falls through a canopy.

The bridge deck hangs from 2.4 meter cables, creating a panoramic image of the surroundings under the rafters.

The bridge has a free passage height of at least 6 meters, a free span of 56 meters and the slope of the bridge deck is 4.7%. The clearance height on both quays is 2.4 meters. The structural calculation confirms the possibility of this design.