With its wide span and apparent slenderness, the design of the footbridge, developed in collaboration with Ravetllat & Ribas architects, highlights aspects related to the asymmetrical composite section that it uses. The footbridge, understood more as an itinerary than a place to stop, is intended to be a link between the two banks instead of a limit for people on foot. The design was a finalist in the 2004 FAD Architecture Awards, within the “Open Spaces” section. It accepts the structural challenge of having only 2 piers and a central span of 83 m that fosters the impression that it is suspended over the river. The Z-shaped cross-section converts the footbridge into a platform free of visual obstacles or artificial landscapes created by its own structure. The total thickness, divided between the upper and lower beams, is largely concealed, thus contributing to the sensation of slenderness and offering two differentiated elevations and two ways of relating to the environment. The geometrical configuration is the following: a continuous lintel with a side to side width of 5.4 m and a length of 144 m, with a central span of 83 m and two side spans of 32 and 29 m. The cross-section consists of 2 box girders tied by transverse steel girders and a structural concrete slab of 15 cm, which is raised 1.15 m, partially concealing the 2 m thickness of the lower box. The upper beam, with a maximum thickness of 1.75 m and a slight outward lean, rises 1.20 m above the level of the deck, acting as a fascia. The two central piers are resolved using slender walls of 4.40 x 0.80 m with pile foundations.
Cross section. Several images showing the finished footbridge. The side span on the left side fans out to create a platform that serves as a piazza-viewpoint and as a transition to the path alongside the river. Structurally it acts as a counterweight for an unbalanced side span.
FOOTBRIDGE OVER THE SEGRE RIVER CONSTRUCTION PROJECT Lleida, 2000-2002