IJP Architects and structural engineers AKT II unveil their concept design for a new 230m Dubai Creek Harbour Central Footbridge, after a 2019 competition. Commissioned by Emaar, the project will connect the soon to be world’s tallest tower, the Dubai Creek Tower and Dubai Creek Harbour.
Marking the second collaboration between AKT II and IJP Architects, after the 2008 Henderson Waves Footbridge in Singapore, the pedestrian bridge, spanning the man-made canal in the center of the new town, is currently in the conceptual phase. Blending modernity and tradition of Dubai, the project puts in place “a three-dimensional web of steel to produce a lightweight, cloud-like structure that floats over the canal”.
In our mind, the Dubai Creek Harbour Central Footbridge is about modernity and tradition. The dispersal of forces through a three-dimensional web of steel produces a lightweight, cloud-like structure with legible geometric patterns. In this sense, DCH Central Footbridge expresses a state of harmony between the new and the traditional, between technology, art history, and Islamic culture. -- George L. Legendre, Founder and Managing Partner at IJP Architects
The underside provides shading from the heat of the sun for pedestrians whilst the upper deck level creates a travel route for golf carts and cyclists. The striking architectural geometry mixes many features like technology, art history, and Islamic culture. Inspired by Islamic art, the project creates a double-height footbridge that paves a way-through for citizens. The bridge connects the quayside and the promenade, linking the city, the harbor and Dubai Creek Tower.
In order to create an iconic landmark to complement Dubai Creek Tower, we wanted to design a bridge that was both delicate as well as almost impossibly slender, to do this we created an arched truss, this ensured that every element of structure was part of the global stability system and designed to their maximum capacity. […] When developing the scheme, we were acutely aware that all the structural elements will be on display and therefore need to be equal to ‘human scale’ despite the bridge’s large span. To do this we carried out detailed research into steel fabrication capabilities worldwide to ensure the bridge is not only iconic but pushes boundaries. -- Paul Hutter, Design Director at AKT II
