325-meter-long bridge to weave through sofia's south park

boele architects + buro happold’s winning proposal

Prague- and London-based firm Boele Architects joined forces with Buro Happold‘s Berlin office to envision a 325-meter-long bridge weaving through South Park in Sofia, Bulgaria. Following an elevated course, the curvilinear structure provides a pedestrian and cycling link that connects both halves of this expansive green respite. As visitors walk along the structure, vistas of the surrounding forests and mountains open up, creating generous viewing decks.

Selected as the winning design of an international competition, the project is heading to construction at the end of 2023. By using a modular timber system, the architectural duo hopes to minimize carbon footprint and impact on the local environment.

image © Boele Architects

a curvilinear bridge linking through sofia’s south park

The winning proposal successfully addresses the challenge of connecting South Park, currently split by the busy Byala Cherkva Road, within. A centerpiece of Sofia’s urban landscape, the green hub offers Bulgarians a leisurely public escape while boosting the city’s microclimate. It also acts as a corridor linking Vitosha Mountain’s flora and fauna to the city center. Once completed, the bridge will provide a continuous pedestrian promenade and cycling path through the park’s entire length, from the National Palace of Culture to the South Park III section – the largest, most biodiverse, and popular part of the park.

With that said, the team at Boele Architects (see more here) and Burro Happold (and here) suggested a curvilinear volume that gently slopes upward, satisfying clearance requirements over Byala Cherkva and winding through the park’s dense greenery as it crosses the Perlovska River, boasting uninterrupted connection while minimizing disruption. The bridge’s width varies throughout its course, creating pausing points to soak in the surroundings. Meanwhile, at its highest elevation, above the treetops, the overpass offers striking views of Vitosha Mountain.

Sensitively reflecting its natural setting, the Sofia bridge spans approximately 325 meters. Its modular timber system consists of a continuous, 13- to 15-meter-long beam, with a 450-millimeter-deep deck varying in width (4.5 -6.5 m) and divided into sections (20-24 meters long) joined with steel connectors. The timber deck stands atop steel columns set at an incline to minimize footprint and maintain a maximum 15-meter span for each section.

image © 2DR Studio

The international competition for the South Park pedestrian bridge proposal was organized by the City of Sofia’s Department of Architecture and Urban Planning. All submissions were evaluated by an international jury consisting of Jesper Dahl (Head of Planning in Frederiksberg, Copenhagen), Milutin Folić (former Chief City Architect and a Chief Urban Planner of the City of Belgrade) and Resul Emra Shaha (Chairman of the Istanbul Planning Agency).

image © 2DR Studio