Skjærvabuen Bridge
The red arch hovering over the river
Gentle and playful in its design, Skjærvabuen Bridge rests in the landscape on two soft arches, above Skjærvagapet Bay. The red arch hovers above the river, and the bridge as a whole creates clear lines of sight and an experience-rich route with a smooth flow.
With wood as its main element and referencing the area’s local history, the strong construction, the skeleton, is shaped to handle the most important function of the bridge: a pedestrian and cycle paths. The red-pigmented material highlights the pedestrian and cycle paths as an artery that safely and efficiently takes people across the water. Along the way, different views are created through the open construction. Pedestrians and cyclists are able to take in a series of impressions. The river, the vegetation, the wildlife, the town and the surrounding activities are stage-managed and play a major role on the site. The project builds a bridge between past, present and future by drawing inspiration from the history of the site, using current materials and construction techniques and creating a link to future, planned infrastructure.
“The project appears as a landmark, with a distinctive identity that will help to elevate the site. Skjærvabuen Bridge provides the competition’s best response to the nature conservation zone. The project provides a thorough account of local prerequisites for landscape and nature and has incorporated this knowledge into the proposed solution in an exemplary way. The bridge is not too dominant, but is still distinct and recognisable in its uniqueness. The use of glulam and solid wood is a sustainable move that has a positive impact on the CO2 emissions of the bridge,” reads the statement by the jury.
