new video documents dafne schippers bicycle bridge by NEXT and RU+P

this new video documents a bridge in the netherlands that opened to the public last year. designed by NEXT architects and rudy uytenhaak + partners architecten, the structure combines a cycle and pedestrian crossing with a school and a public garden, forming a cohesive and integrated scheme. named after dutch athlete dafne schippers, the bridge was commissioned by the city of utrecht and spans the amsterdam-rhine canal.

the structure integrates a cycle and pedestrian crossing with a school and a public garden
image © mastum daksystemen / maurice iseger | video by marcel ijzerman

when cyclists make their way from the city center to the new district of leidsche rijn, a long bend takes them upwards through the victor hugo park, and around the roof garden of a school. ‘in one fluid movement, the cycle route, park, and school are brought together to form a cohesive whole of infrastructure, architecture, and landscape,’ says marijn schenk of NEXT architects, who designed the project alongside rudy uytenhaak + partners architecten in collaboration with arup and bureau B+B.

a long bend takes cyclists upwards through the a park and around the roof garden of a school
image © mastum daksystemen / maurice iseger

the structure measures 110 meters (360 ft) in length, with its deck suspended 9 metres (30 ft) above the water. the slim suspension bridge is hung between two asymmetric towers, which serve different functions on different sides of the canal. on the leidsche rijn side, the pylon becomes a landmark for the new district, while on the school side, a smaller pylon matches the scale of the adjacent trees. it is estimated that on a daily basis, the bridge allows more than 7,000 cyclists to save valuable time. see designboom’s previous coverage of the project here.

the project is located in the dutch city of utrecht
image by jeroen musch © NEXT architects