Submission #11 CLOSE
Busby Perkins+Will (Vancouver) and Fast + Epp Structural Engineers (Vancouver)
The formal and structural concept for St. PatrickÃs pedestrian and bike bridge is a direct response to the opportunities presented by the site. The bridge comprises a curving pedestrian walkway spanning two sections of the Bow River, divided asymmetrically by St. PatrickÃs Island. The walkway gestures towards CalgaryÃs city centre. As the bridge approaches its apex, the deck swells to provide space to pause along the journey and take in the panoramic view of the city.
The structure of the bridge is kept to the inside of the arc, and two separate treatments of guardrails reinforce the directionality of the bridge experience. The walkway is supported by a pair of low lying cantilevered arms quietly extending from the ground to draw pedestrians and cyclists onto St. PatrickÃs Island. These cantilevered arms divide the span over the Bow River into three parts and transition into cable stay masts, offering additional support to the thin curving bridge deck. The masts vary in height to reflect the asymmetrical river crossings.
The tall masts of St. PatrickÃs bridge serve as a means of distinguishing the East Village and St. PatrickÃs Island from CalgaryÃs existing bridges and skyline, as well as any future development in the Rivers District. The selected location is one of prominence in the Rivers District, and the bridgeÃs verticality will ensure this place is recognized. The landing on St. PatrickÃs Island grows out of the natural landscape providing an edifice anchoring this new park land.
Wood is the only building material grown by the sun, it is a renewable resource, and it has a negative carbon intensity when harvested from managed sources. Constructing the main deck structure out of wood not only makes use of this renewable resource, but also significantly reduces the carbon footprint of the project by offsetting the carbon emissions from the steel and concrete components.
