Calatrava Over the Rhine
John Hill
5. Mai 2020
Photo: Screenshot
Santiago Calatrava's design has been selected in a competition to build a new highway bridge over the Rhine River west of Eglisau, Switzerland. A short film presents a model of the winning design.
As explained by Manuel Pestalozzi in a headline on Swiss-Architects, the bridge is proposed for a partially forested area at a remove from the historic town. It would sit between an existing railroad bridge and power plant, both designed by the Pfister brothers early last century.
The bridge, which would span 165 meters over the Rhine, is recognizable as one from the mind of Calatrava. The hinged-arch structure also recalls the famous bridges of Robert Maillart, most notably the Rossgraben Bridge in Schwarzenburg.
Calatrava's bridge is lifted high by columns on the banks of the river and supported by incredibly slender arches reaching up from the columns. It's an elegant design that now needs to gain the necessary approvals for construction to start.