The team’s designs will be used for replacement bridges over the mainline railway corridor connecting the commercial centres of Frankfurt and Stuttgart.
Image: Knight Architects/Wilfried Dechau
The competition, run by the City of Darmstadt, called for designs for four road and pedestrian bridges, ranging in length from 25m to 53m, to replace the current structures which had reached the end of their natural lifecycle. Two of the bridges were sketched in outline, whilst a further two were developed in detail.
For the detailed design schemes, a common design language was found in order to create a visual link between the bridges along the railway corridor.
A prefabricated steel composite cross-section sits on in-situ concrete abutments allowing for a rapid construction time and minimum disruption to the busy railway. The design of the parapet transitions from steel posts to frosted glass.
Each bridge will reveal an individual identity at night, with a colour-coded lighting scheme.
The Knight Architects / Schüβler-Plan team was one of 14 that prequalified for the project. The win adds to Knight Architects’ German railway portfolio with work currently under way in Neu-Ulm and Opladen, where one of a pair of footbridges has been recently completed.
