One of the attractions of the bridge is its white color; Made of reinforced concrete, as a segmented girder bridge with UHPFRC parapet girders, in 57 prefabricated sections, it appears as if it has been crafted from bright white marble. Designed as a segmental girder bridge with UHPC parapet girders. The length of the bridge is 299.47 m, and the length of the side ramp is 83.95 m. The bridge consists of eight spans, the maximum span of the section is 55.4 m.
The bridge is founded in depth thanks to a series of large-diameter piles. The support system in the longitudinal direction of the bridge consists of a pair of lateral parapet girders that act as a continuous beam, which smoothly passes into the lateral ramp of the bridge, forming a single unit without intermediate expansion joints.
Along with its slender form and monolithic volume, it features an ornamental bronze handrail by sculptor Aleš Hvízdal with integrated lighting and figurative animal motifs at the ends.
Štvanice Footbridge by Atelier Bridge Structures + Blank architekti. Photograph by Alex Shoots Buildings.
Project description by Atelier Bridge Structures and Blank architekti
The footbridge is realized according to the project of the authors Petr Tej, Marko Blank, and Jan Mourek based on an international competition organized by the Institute of Planning and Development of the Capital City of Prague.
The gentle spatial curve is constructed as a smooth path based on the dynamics of the movement of pedestrians and cyclists. The construction concept of the bridge responds humbly to the panorama of Prague, to the connection to the Holešovice and Karlín banks, and to the connection by ramp to the island of Štvanice. The structure does not go to a height, it does not prevent pedestrians and cyclists from seeing the city, water, and trees.
The bridge is supported by two embankment piers, two piers on the edges of Štvanice island so that it interferes with the island as little as possible, and two piers in the non-navigable arm of the Vltava River. On Štvanice, a ramp descends freely, the plan curve of which copies the curve of the edge of the island.
Due to the barrier-free and smooth connection on the Holešovice side, the outermost field of the structure descends below the flood level to the level of the sidewalk on the embankment. This field is designed to be vertically movable at the support point where a hydraulic piston mechanism is located to provide vertical lift above the thousand-year water level. This is a rise of approx. 3 m when the field is turned around the overhanging end at the first pillar in the Vltava.
Štvanice Footbridge by Atelier Bridge Structures + Blank architekti. Photograph by Alex Shoots Buildings.
Štvanice Footbridge by Atelier Bridge Structures + Blank architekti. Photograph by Alex Shoots Buildings.
The architecture of the bridge uses minimalist sculptural morphology. The bridge is made of high-quality ultra-high performance fiber reinforced concrete (UHPFRC) with a surface that matches the shiny white marble.
The main supporting structure of the bridge consists of a continuous reinforced concrete beam with longitudinal prestressing and an H-shaped cross-section. These are two full-walled side parapet beams with an intermediate deck plate, which is supported by transverse ribs. In terms of production and assembly, it is a segmental bridge structure consisting of 57 prefabs.
Part of the structure is an ornamental bronze handle with figural motifs of animal heads on the ends by the sculptor Aleš Hvízdal. The gangway lighting is integrated into the handrail. On the island of Štvanice, near the entrance to the footbridge, there is a figurative sculpture called Řeka by the sculptor Jan Hendrych.
