RAISED PARK AND PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE BY BENTHEM CROUWEL ARCHITECTS IS ALSO A GIANT SOLAR COLLECTOR

The Paleisbrug bridge is fitted with solar panels that will supply the surrounding area with energy

Dutch architecture firm Benthem Crouwel Architects has completed a raised park and pedestrian bridge for the city of ‘s-Hertogenbosch in the Netherlands. The Paleisbrug, as the bridge is called, connects the old city center with the newly developed Paleiskwartier. ‘s-Hertogenbosch is characterized by a large area of undeveloped green space, called the Gement, whose urban proximity is unique in the Netherlands. Since the location for the Paleisbrug offered exceptional views of the Gement, the architects designed a structure that would take full advantage of the surroundings and become more than a means of getting from one place to another.

The Paleisbrug adds 2,500 square meters of park space to the city. The bridge’s greenery is divided into three sections with low, savannah-like plants and individual trees closest to the city center, low plants in the middle of the bridge to ensure unobstructed views and more forest-like foliage as visitors get closer to Paleiskwartier. To ensure that the new park is low maintenance, all of the plants were fitted with a drip feed watering system with detection and with an additional overflow pipe, so that the plants will never receive too much water.

Perhaps most interestingly, the bridge has been fitted with a large solar collector. The solar collector gathers and stores energy to power floor heating that keeps the bridge ice free during winter and to keep the bridge’s LED lamps lit at night. Floor heating was chosen in order to avoid the potential damage that salt would do to the plants and building materials. During summer months, when the bridge collects more energy than it needs, it also powers the surrounding buildings.

The Paleisbrug is covered in rusty weather proof steel. Although a robust material that is designed to survive exposure, the architects used steel that is 1mm thicker than initially required in order to anticipate eventual corrosion. The steel also covers the columns that hold up the bridge’s different-sized spans, the longest of which is 60 meters. A concrete compression layer is also hidden beneath steel ducts and perforated in certain areas with trees. All cables, pipes and gutters are hidden beneath a studded sheet of steel that runs between the flower beds and paving. Thus visitors are presented with a harmonious facade across the whole structure.