Bridges for pedestrians

Landsberg on the Lech is a small but beautiful city in Bavaria / Germany. The River Lech separates the town into two halfs. Landsberg has a long tradition in forestry. So over the 600 years since its founding a prospering timber industry has been developed. In 2010 the City of Landsberg announced a competition for a 80 m long pedestrian bridge to span over the River Lech. Sixteen international teams of engineers and architects were invited.
Knippers Helbig Stuttgart in cooperation with Birk und Heilmeyer won the competition with their proposal for a robust timber bridge made of glulam. By establishing a kink in the bridge path the design provides a new interesting place situated over the river.
By using a semi-integral design approach the Landsberg bridge provides a cost-efficient construction method: just a few number of easy-to-maintain details and a robust continuous beam out of solid timber. The estimated and independently proved buildings costs are less required in the tender. The use of timber is re-interpreted in a contemporary way. Due to the low-tech construction and the innovative use of timber as a solid block the Landsberg bridge stands for a new and sustainable approach in the contemporary bridge architecture.