Paris-based LEA Invent along with Burcak Pekin shared with us their winning proposal for the Pedestrian Footbridge Design Competition in Fatih Vatan Street, Istanbul, Turkey. More images and architect’s description after the break.
The footbridge is located in one of the busiest districts of Istanbul. It holds the main axe connecting the center to the historic peninsula, baring an important portion of the traffic load, with the tram route taking place on the middle. Therefore, it covers the most important crossroads of vehicle and pedestrian movement in the region.
The axial movement of the pedestrians are taken into acoount to determine the strategic points for the design. These points are connected to each other by the pedestrian crosswalks on the east and west sides of the tram station and connected to the station by the footbridge at the middle.
The desired pedestrian routes established by time constitute the basis of the proposed urban strategy. Eliminating the vehicle traffic, the minimum area for the desired pedestrian motion is determined. This area is lifted 6 meters into the air and is enriched to be a pedestrian square by commercial and cultural activities. The square is also been transformed into small-scale park as needed for the surrounding settlements. As it isolates itself from its surroundings from place to place, it is linked where the axes expose the depth of perspective.
The architectural form is designed to “underline” the urban continuity. The curved lines opens the perspectives and directs the pedestrians to their estimated routes. Outer and inner facades are designed as “landscape membranes”. This membrane is transparent in many areas to maintain the visual connection between the square and the ground level, also with the urban depth. A continuous flowerpot system is created in the the structural system in the inner part of the facade. The stairs down to the tram station are hanged to the holes that are opened on the square. Disabled pedestrians are able to use the elevators situated in various locations of the bridge.
The concrete floor plate of the structure is carried by the steel beams resting on top of the reinforced concrete columns. The heights of the walls sorrounding the concrete floor plate is formed by the steel frame beams that will be adapted in place. These beams also maintain the stability of the wide floor plate.The steel constructions around the elevators also help support the vertical carriers.
Architects: LEA Invent Location: Fatih Vatan Street, Istanbul, Turkey Design Team: LEA Invent (Emir Drahsan, Alexandre Schrepfer, Lorenzo Sangiorgi) & Burcak Pekin architect Client: Istanbul City Structure: Grohmann & Bollinger Collaborators: Erkan Goray, Ugur Seymen (Yapi Akademisi), Charlotte Cote Materials: Steel structure, green facade, wood Images: Courtesy of LEA Invent
