The bridge designed by NEXT Architects studio is one of the candidates for the building of the year award, from Bond van Nederlandse Architecten (BNA), l'the Dutch Architects’ Association.
The NEXT Architects studio has designed the bridge that links the Weidevenne area and the old centre of Purmerend, a town in Northern Holland.As the architects had to take account of regulations relating to the maximum inclinationallowed for bicycles and wheelchairs and of the need to redevelop the old path through the town, they adopted a design solution with two routes for pedestrian traffic and bikes.
Pedestrians use the 12 metre high arch bridge over the canal with its panoramic view of the surroundings, while the cycle bridge curves gently over the canal. The continuity of materials and colours reinforces the idea that the two constructions are part of a whole. Seen from above, the two bridges flow into each other and create a symbol of the infinite.
Design: NEXT architects (Marijn Schenk, Bart Reuser, Michel Schreinemachers and Ronald Rietveld)
Place: Purmerend, the Netherlands
Images: Jeroen Musch, NEXT architects
www.nextarchitects.com
