The duplicated bridge

Archdaily published the duplicated bridge, a design competition entry, concerning a new bridge in Slovenia.


This project responds to the problem of designing a second bridge, parallel to the existing one in Maribor. The new bridge is proposed here as a mere unification of two indifferent riverbanks; a transformation of the riverbanks that such a bridge could undertake is more important than the possible shape of any added construction. The riverbanks that are nevertheless very close to the historical center of Maribor. The new bridge is thus an opportunity to treat the riversides and propose a transformation of them into a part of the vivid city center. The provocation was to propose an urban strategy and refuse the narcissism of a beautiful bridge. Furthermore the strategy of this urban investigation would be to boycott the trivial operational linearity of a bridge; boycotting linearity would form the urban character of the proposal. If the urban space is more important then the bridging element, the design will have to organize the duplicated bridge (the old and the new bridge as a unified system) as a meeting function. The city's rhythm is already regulated by the existing bridge. We have to think about the interconnection of the two junction systems not as if the only result will be a substitution. A complex urban condition is to be analyzed and elaborated anew by this system of duplication.

1. The project aims to transform the river at this part of the city into a "water living room".
2. The new bridge will not only mark the two riversides and the manner through which they link but also propose the "architectonic program for a stay" in the bridged areas.
3. A junction between the older bridge and the new one will have to be possible. The shape for the junction will mark this particular "duplication of the bridge". This bridge's originality will have to do with the non authentic character imposed necessarily by this substitution of a bridge from another. A hybrid urban space can be elaborated through this junction of two parallel bridges.
A high, flexible meeting construction is proposed in order to host meeting activities in the river.