Professor Pekka Salminen of PES-Architects invited WSP Finland’s bridge designers to join the design team for the competition.
The bridge is suspended by two independent and inclined pylons located on a man-made island in the centre of the lake. “Our design proposal merges minimalistic Finnish design with a traditional Chinese story,” said Salminen. “We called our design ‘the Dancing Bridge’ because the inclined pylons resemble a pair of dancers.”
“The bridge design features a gentle S-bend which, according to Chinese tradition, ensures that the traveller will face no danger, as evil spirits will eventually lose their way in the curved shape,” said WSP’s Sami Niemelä. The bridge deck is a steel-concrete composite structure and the girder is covered with stainless steel cladding.
Construction of the bridge will begin at once and it is expected to open later this year.
“Winning this competition is an important milestone for us in China. The collaboration between PES-Architects and WSP Finland is proof that top Finnish design firms can also succeed in the world’s most important growth areas,” said WSP Finland managing director Kirsi Hautala.
