Ijburg Bridge. Amsterdam. Nicholas Grimshaw & Partners. 2001

Naturally, construction has not occurred onsite: all of the pieces were created in the laboratory and then transported by barge and mounted with the use of cranes.
Instead, elements in reinforced concrete such as the central supports and the viaduct mantle were created onsite.The project?s complexity, due in part to the particular geologic conditions of the terrain, required the collaboration of the Grimshaw firm with the technical department of the City of Amsterdam, with additional support from WS Atkins and IBA.
The two bridges feature a rather similar style and it seems that the system can be replicated for the other islands as well. The project validates Nicholas Grimshaw?s insight for architecture that is able to integrate the application of new technologies with the aesthetic peculiarities of individual materials, giving life to constructions that have a modern imprint, but which are also extremely functional.Quality, innovation and attention to detail are what make these bridges an important presence in the landscape of the new Amsterdam.

Laura Della Badia

Contemporary Architecture Itinerary: Amsterdam