Pasarela del Arganzuela, Madrid, Spain
by Jonathan McGaha | October 4, 2011 12:00 am
Described by inhabitants as being on the threshold of heaven, Madrid is rich in culture, art and atmosphere. The completion of one of the largest construction projects in Madrid’s history underlines the heavenly reputation of the metropolis. Free from the noise and smell of the busy city highway, which was completely banished underground, both banks of the Rio Manzanares were transformed into picturesque parks and promenades.
The Pasarela del Arganzuela-a footbridge designed by France’s star architect, Dominique Perrault-is at the heart of this green idyll. The tapering conical forms on both sides of the bridge are wrapped in stainless steel Escale mesh from Cambridge, Md.-based GKD Metal Fabrics, to create a shimmering helix. Similar to a textile ribbon, the metal mesh surrounds the bridge from end to end in a spiral design. This helix, which gleams silver in the sunlight, is a metaphor for the increasingly close association between the two parts of the city separated by the Manzanares. At night, it is transformed by backlighting into a golden spiral, floating mysteriously above the river.
Two years ago Madrid celebrated the opening of the Centro Deportivo Multifuncional del Manzanares with its spectacular Caja Magica. With the 820-foot Arganzuela Bridge, Perrault created a crossing for pedestrians and cyclists and an iconic structure for the Manzanares Park. Rather than a single compact structure, Perrault designed a selfsupporting steel structure in two sections, tapering to cones at its outer ends. Pillars at the sides underline the impression of a floating link between the two banks. The two spiral-wrapped sections-492 and 420 feet long-extend well into the park, meeting in the center on a platform. Forming the park entrance, it is a visible sign of the merging of the two parts of the inner city.
The helical form of the envelope creates the unmistakable character of the bridge. The helix is a universally accepted symbol of stability and growth, and in its double form, the symbol of life itself. The Arganzuela Bridge is a systematic extension of this idea. In this case, the unusual design symbolizes the exchange with the natural world around it as well. The concept’s realization is made possible by the decoratively draped skin of semi-transparent metal mesh, which links inside and outside, and creates different impressions depending on the viewer’s perspective. At the same time it permits natural illumination and a sense of airiness on the bridge. The spiral-shaped wrap is designed so that an open section on one side is always opposite a mesh-wrapped section on the other, allowing passers-by a view into the surrounding landscape at all times and preventing gusts of wind from making the bridge impassable.
To create this architectonic idea, the wrapping of the Arganzuela Bridge used 48,420 square feet of the Escale metal mesh. The structure’s conical form and the mesh’s 2-D curvature determined by the design posed unique challenges for the manufacturing subsidiary. The solution was 64 individually formed triangular mesh sections, each adjusted to fit the sub-structure-30 for the northern and 34 for the southern half of the helix. Assembling the finished mesh panels also required high precision work due to its size and triangular shape. To achieve the required tension, each mesh triangle was mounted by crane from top to bottom with precisely defined bending in vertical and horizontal directions. Because of the complex form of the bridge, a widely proven fixing technique using eye bolts was adapted to the design requirements.
The finished bridge owes its charm to the special aesthetic of the spiral mesh, which reinforces the impression of a delicately draped material. On the inside of the bridge the softly dappled light creates a pleasant atmosphere. When it is dark, the woven helix is backlit by standing lamp fixtures invisible from the outside, transformed into a golden ribbon.
A deciding factor for Perrault in selecting the material was the functionality of the Escale mesh. The inherent advantages of stainless steel-which makes the Escale mesh easy to maintain and resistant to severe weather or environmental impacts- results in a virtually unlimited life space, giving little burden to the city’s budget, already heavily strained by the rerouting of the highways and the design of the parks. What results is a structure that will stand the test of time, unifying two long-separated sections of the city in a harmony of architecture, design and functionality
GKD-USA Inc.,
www.gkdmetalfabrics.com
Source URL: https://www.metalarchitecture.com/projects/pasarela-del-arganzuela-madrid-spain/