Moreelse Bridge
The Station district in Utrecht is currently undergoing a real metamorphosis. Between all the new buildings, conversions and renovations, the Moreelsebrug has recently be taken into use, connectiing the Croeselaan and the Moreelsepark with each other across the railway tracks. The design by cepezed focuses entirely on presence, efficiency and functionality. The bridge for cyclists and pedestrians is characterized by a span in a single clear, open gesture with a high degree of recognizability and a natural presence. The concept consists of an elongated esplanade with a high level of user appeal and ambiance, achieved through aspects such as the form, materialization and detailing and the integration of an avenue of trees into the design. As a result, the structure functions more as a high-quality continuation of the urban space than specifically as an infrastructural object. The bridge is simple, slender and transparent and consists of two super-sized girders with a middle section in between. The various sight lines and orientations arise from and fit in with the given urban design situation, and as a result, the bridge is embedded into the fabric of the city in a natural way.
The trees on the bridge form a raised continuation of the avenue of trees already present at ground level on the connecting routes to and from the city centre. In this way, the bridge establishes an experience of uniformity and continuity that contributes to the naturalness of its use. At night, the bridge is modestly lit, which also contributes to the recognizability, aesthetics and functional logic; a stylish, elongated light contour with a row of trees lit from below indicates from afar the presence and objective of the bridge vaulting the railway. There is an all-round view. Mark Hume, journalist at the Canadian newspaper The Globe and Mail, saw in the Rabobrug direct possibilities for the city of Vancouver: ‘The Rabobrug,’ wrote Hume, ‘is not just a bridge, it’s an architectural statement, a beautiful structure with graceful lines that opens up a pleasant, treed boulevard in the middle of a busy city. A bridge like that over False Creek would be a tourism magnet and would extend Vancouver’s remarkable public waterfront.’
Text from Cepezed
