Steven Holl's Copenhagen Gate Project Moves Forward
John Hill
17. November 2015
Image: Steven Holl Architects
Steven Holl Architects has announced that their competition-winning 2008 project for two skyscrapers joined by a raised pedestrian bridge at Nordhavn Harbor has gained approval from the city of Copenhagen.
According to a statement from Holl's office, the most distinctive aspect of the proejct was a given: "The competition required a pedestrian bridge 65 m above the harbor (for cruise ship clearance) allowing direct links from Gate L to Gate M and the Nordhavn train station."
The bridge saves pedestrian and cyclists a 2.2-km-long detour around the waterway, while also enabling each tower to be no more than 500 meters from the nearest public transport stop (a bus stop that sits next to 3XN's UN City).
The bridge is technically made of two cable-stay bridges, one suspended from each tower, that connect at an angle "like a handshake over the harbor," in Holl's words.
The project was delayed due to the financial crisis, but with the recent announcement construction could start as early as next year, depending on the progress of rental efforts.