This years footbridge conference in Madrid is the continuation of a long set of Conferences that started in Paris in 2002, followed by cities as Porto, Venice, Wroclaw, London and Berlin. The present edition tries to follow the aim of the Berlin’s 2017 conference. In that case the moto of the congress was ‘tell us a story’; now we want to know more about the feeling and experience of users, owners, designers and constructors.
In Riedlingen/Danube (Germany), extensive flood protection measures had to be implemented in recent years, with the result that many of the existing bridges had to be replaced. The bridges are very important for Riedlingen, as they provide access to the historic town center. The opportunity was used to develop an urban design concept with an interdisciplinary planning team. The entrances to the old town were enhanced with their own sojourn quality. As a result, three new bridges were built and another one is currently under construction.
It is a rare opportunity and special task to design several bridges that are within a few hundred meters of each other. It is important to ensure not only that the structures are integrated into their respective environments, but also that there is an appropriate hierarchy among them. For the bridges in Riedlingen, the aim was to create modern, elegant structures that complemented their historical or near-natural surroundings. At the same time, they were to set a high architectural standard that had the potential to act as a catalyst for future redevelopment areas in the city. It was essential to take the lighting design concept into account at an early stage of planning.