A landmark pedestrian bridge by Prague-based practice Ehl & Koumar architekti skilfully synthesizes architecture, engineering, and urbanism.
Prague-based practice Ehl & Koumar architekti has completed a visually-striking footbridge in the Czech Republic town of Litomyšl. Winner of the Czech Architecture Award 2023, the steel structure replaces an outdated overpass and provides barrier-free pedestrian access from the town’s municipal offices to its centre.
The lift tower is located on the axis of the original staircase, towards the historic centre, and supports the structure of the bridge. It also creates a new landmark visible through Ropkova Street from the town square. The central pillar is encircled by a concrete staircase at low level oriented to a path leading towards Smetanův dům. On the western approach, the bridge is supported on an abutment in the existing retaining wall.
The superstructure comprises two principal Vierendeel girders connected by transverse beams. By repeating the cross-section longitudinally, a spatial 3D Vierendeel girder is formed with an orthotropic deck plate and roof. A spatial module of 3.07×3.07×3.07 metres repeats in the reinforced concrete structures. A high degree of precision was achieved for the girder edges and the overall geometry of the bridge through the use of HEB beams and welded plates in a 220x220mm cross-section.
Graphic-based works by artist Ivana Šrámková articulate and enliven the entrances and rear wall of the lift tower. Elsewhere the footbridge employs a stainless-steel mesh balustrade with a sturdy round handle. The lighting scheme is designed to heighten the contrast between the lightweight steel structure and the exposed concrete at night.
The Czech Architecture Award jury commented, “A good bridge is like a good deed in an unkind world, an altruistic investment in the public realm, a way to connect people and places, designed in such a way that it is pleasing to experience and to look at. Litomyšl’s new footbridge is exactly that: an entirely convincing synthesis of architecture, engineering, and urbanism, connecting two segments of the town.”
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