border as a site . bridge as a joint
redevelopment of the bridge over the mur river between bad radkersburg (at) and
gornja radgona (si)
2008 - 2012
after the schengen border had shifted, the border crossings between the two municipalities gornja radgona and bad radkersburg became obsolete. the goal for the design of the bridge was to once again make it a place where people meet. the parts of the town that used to belong together were joined and can be reached by foot. this improved europe as a region that merges cultures and offers a high extent of identity and life qualities for inhabitants and visitors. the walkways on the sides of the bridge expand in form of balconies and pulpits over the river. the mur river that runs along the border can now be accessed and offers a waterside platform.
the bridge now wears a new dress made out of a versatile balustrade: air currents generated by the wind and cars driving by move the thin rondels, made out of translucent plastic and freely attached to the netting. the way they move can be compared to a wave and they cast changing shadows onto the light colored concrete surface. a light whirr provides a direct acoustic accompaniment to the noise of traffic. the bridge on the former border crossing appears a bit unclear when looked at from the outside, due to sun reflections on the plastic rondels. during nighttime, led bars placed inside the broad handrail cast a horizontal luminous arc onto the river. the refined engineering structure therefore becomes a versatile place and represents the merging of both neighboring municipalities.
