New Aare Bridge / Christ & Gantenbein

Textual content description supplied by the architects. The brand new Aare Bridge in Aarau, Switzerland, designed by the planning staff Christ & Gantenbein, WMM Ingenieure AG, Henauer Gugler AG, and August + Margrith Künzel Landschaftsarchitekten AG, is each a contemporary infrastructure development and part of the town. Changing a 1949 concrete bridge, the brand new construction blends organically into Aarau’s distinctive cityscape and the pure atmosphere of the Aare River whereas strengthening the area’s transportation community. As a complete bridge and riverbank design, the challenge creates an interesting city house, and with its distinctive, elegantly curved arches, turns into a brand new landmark.

Since Roman occasions, there was a bridge over the Aare at this location – from the historic metropolis middle over the Zollrain in the direction of the north to the Jura. This bridge has been changed a number of occasions by new constructions, together with the 1848 “Ketten- brücke” and a concrete bridge from 1949. As such, the competitors which sought a substitute for the getting older predecessor emphasised that the brand new bridge ought to match into its city context. The profitable design distinguished itself by means of this very connection to the city construction and the creation of an inviting public house on the entrance to the historic outdated city. As we speak, the bridge seamlessly transitions into the riverbank partitions, harmoniously connecting it with the river.

The brand new bridge is each a conventional construction and a technically optimized, concrete development. Impressed by the solidity of the stone buildings in Aarau, the medieval homes alongside the town wall, the close by piers, retaining partitions, ramps, and riverbank reinforcements, its gentle coloring maintains the dialogue of the construction with its environment. Equally, the bridge is a rational, fashionable archlike strengthened concrete development, which employs concrete sparingly due to its particular geometry. The 5 spanning arches of various widths partially relaxation on the 2 caissons of the outdated bridge situated within the riverbed, thus enabling their reuse. One other essential side of the bridge development is its monolithic supporting construction, during which all the parts – pillar foundations, pillars, arches, flanks, roadway, and parapets – construct a uniform, seamless development. All components take part in load-bearing, resulting in an optimized and thus sustainable construction.

With a size of 119 meters and a width of 17.5 meters, the bridge options two lanes, sidewalks on each side and bicycle tracks. The place the riverbank path spans the bridge, massive openings provide transverse views of the environs, thus creating engaging public areas for everybody strolling, jogging, or biking alongside the Aare River. The brand new riverside hyperlinks the bridge to the town the place current promenades are enhanced and newly interpreted: on the outdated city aspect, a spacious city promenade with a sq. for lounging beneath shady bushes is being created. On the northern riverbank space, the bridge is embellished with inexperienced meadows and native vegetation.

At first look, the brand new Aare Bridge is a conventional bridge, however upon nearer inspection, it’s a technically optimized engineering construction. Its architectural design discerningly contributes one other layer to the evolution of our city atmosphere, making the town extra engaging to its inhabitants.