massiv: iconic pedestrian bridge amsterdam

view by night

the aim of the program was to propose an iconic pedestrian bridge in amsterdam, it was important to conceive the project according to what is characterizing the most the capital: that is to say gezelligheid. to make it happen we decided to think about the construction as a walk, that is a place where people are passing by but also a place where people are staying. therefore, the whole program is integrated to the project in order to animate it and to create an attractive place. for instance, the terrace of the bar has been settled just above the water made in the image of a lot of amsterdam bars. furthermore, two footbridges have been put in to create two courses: a smooth walk opened to disabled people and to pedestrian,  and a shorter course for the bikes but for people as well, who would like to cross over the amstel river quicker. the second concept comes from the graphic symbol of the city: st. andrew’s crosses (XXX). we noticed that the amsterdam flag was made of three crosses standing on a black stripe which represents the amstel river. compared to gezellig, our thematic concept, we thought that the «x» was a much more iconic concept, which would not trigger any doubt about the belonging of our project to amsterdam.

to magnify the meaning of the crosses,  we incorporated inside them all the program’s elements in order to make it looks like it’s not the only ornmental figure. moreover, the three crosses are actually shaping the building and being placed at the three essential stages of the courses; themselves being drawn as a cross in plan.

abstract concept

iconic concept

view from a quay

view from a programmatic cross

program

aerial view

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