Spanning roughly 42 meters, this bicycle and pedestrian bridge called ‘The Twist’ bridge for its contorted and sculptural lines, connects the Holy-Zuid district and the Broekpolder over Vlaardingse Vaart in The Netherlands. The visitor enters the bridge through a rectangular frame, while the space evolves dynamically into a double-height diamond-shaped tube, through the bridge’s centre. Constructed largely onsite, prefabricated in a temporary shed, the bridge was made of 400 steel tubes, welded together, galvanized and painted red for maximum visual effect.
The bridge’s strong three-dimensional character not only adds to the design’s expressiveness, but also has functional purposes. Made of square steel elements it twists on a horizontal axis, and the constantly changing sections are the perfect format to absorb vibrations, thus reinforcing the bridge’s movement, when a cyclist crosses.
The bridge was designed by West 8 Architects with structural engineers ABT.
