Dutch studio UNStudio has won a competition to create a road, tram, cycle and pedestrian crossing over the Danube in Budapest, Hungary.
Ben van Berkel's studio worked with engineer Buro Happold to design the bridge that will act as a gateway to the city and connect the areas of Ujbuda and Csepel in the south of the city.
The team's winning proposal is for a cable-stayed structure that has a main span of 220 metres between two 93-metre-tall triangular-shaped pylons. The side spans of the bridge bring the total length to 500 metres.
It will carry four carriageways, along with two tram lines, and two lanes each for bikes and pedestrians.
The bridge competition organised by the Municipal Government of Budapest was launched to encourage development in the south of the city.
In total 17 teams entered the competition, with bridge specialists Wilkinson Eyre and Knight Architects, along with Zaha Hadid Architects among the entrants.
The bridge will act as a landmark for the developing area in the south of the city, and with unobserved views from its deck, provide a location to observe the surrounding area.
"It was also important that the bridge enable unobstructed views below and above the bridge deck. We wanted it to operate as a clear gateway to the city, like an inviting gesture of hands," said van Berkel.
In 1996 the practice built an angled cable-stayed bridge in Rotterdam, which is a major landmark in the city. It is currently working to create a cable car in Gothenburg, Sweden.
Visualisations are by VA Render.
Project credits:
Architect: UNStudio (Ben van Berkel with Kristoph Nowak and Leon Hansmann, Jay Tsai)
Engineering: Buro Happold (Davood Liaghat, Edmund Matters, Anthony Holder, Laura Phillips)
Client: KKBK Kiemelt Kormányzati Beruházások Központja Nonprofit Zrt (KKBK Centre of Key Government Investments Nonprofit Plc)