An award-winning bridge by Marte.Marte Architekten

Bridges are architectural and engineering structures that can become major landmarks or little gems, like the award-winning Schaufelschluchtbrücke bridge near Dornbirn in Vorarlberg, Austria, designed by Austrian firm, Marte.Marte Architekten.
Bridges are a means of communication and unity, created by human intervention in what would otherwise be unusable topography. You can really grasp this concept on the “Brückentour”, a tour of bridges proposed by vai – Voralberger Institut für Architektur (Vorarlberg architecture institute) in Austria.


A tour to discover a number of different structures, including the Schaufelschluchtbrücke bridge commissioned by the city of Dornbirn and esigned by Austrian firm, Marte.Marte Architekten ZT GmbH. A project that won the Vorarlberger Hypo-Bauherrenpreis 2015 in the “open space” category. This is the seventh edition of the prestigious award, which has included the excellences of regional architecture marked by innovation, as well as by the close ties with their territory.

The Schaufelschluchtbücke bridge by Marte.Marte Architekten is the second arch bridge to be built on the scenic road winding its way from Dornbirn to the hamlet of Ebnit, a cast concrete structure that seems to blend in with nature. It's a reassuring element in the majestic backdrop of sheer rock, a reassuring, balanced creation that contrasts with the swollen, rushing waters below, a timeless structure in a changing environment, a true example of sustainability in its various forms.
The prize awarded to Schaufelschluchtbrücke bridge is just the motivation we needed to take the guided tour offered by vai, which also includes the Alfenzbrücke bridge in Lorüns and the Schanerlochbrücke bridge, all three designed by Marte.Marte.

Christiane Bürklein

Project: Marte.Marte Architekten ZT GmbH
Engineering: M+G Ingenieure
Location: Dornbirn, Vorarlberg, Austria
Year: 2012
More information about the tour: http://www.v-a-i.at/
Photography: courtesy of vai, © Marc Lins