Infrastructura velo si pietonala in Europa si in lume

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Digital Baroque in the Red-Light District: Pedestrian Bridge in Amsterdam

In the Old Town of Amsterdam, the world's first steel bridge manufactured by means of 3D printing is to be erected in just a few months. The design comes from Joris Laarman Lab and the Arup engineering office. At the start-up company, an industrial robot welded the bridge construction point by point. Now, only the banks of the canal must be prepared.

This project was announced long ago; now it is (hopefully) ready for implementation. In the Old Town of Amsterdam, the world's first stainless-steel bridge manufactured with 3D printing is to be erected next year. The City of Amsterdam commissioned the Joris Laarman design studios and engineering office Arup with the design of a bridge construction to span the Oudezijds Achterburgwal, a canal in the red-light district of the Dutch capital.

The bridge, which is 12 metres long, was manufactured at Amsterdam's start-up MX3D, which specializes in a technique known as wire arc additive manufacturing. The company combines the necessary industrial robot with a welding machine that can process most weldable alloys. Metal welding wires are used as raw material. For the most part, the bridge deck consists of components around 1 m in length; these are individually extruded and subsequently welded together. However, the robot also made some longer sections, for which it was mounted directly onto the bridge deck.

In the planning phase, the geometry of the bridge had to be changed many times: originally, delicate mullions would have transferred the bridge's load to the supports. Now, the balustrades found to either side of the bridge, which are shaped like biomorphic box girders, will bear most of the load. Furthermore, because it was not clear how the piece-by-piece welded material would respond to tensile stress, the design is such that it is primarily compressive forces that will act on the bridge.

Before the bridge in installed in situ, the banks of the canal must be restored. The engineers want to use this time to equip their structure with a large number of sensors. The measurements will serve to optimize design and calculation processes for similar bridges in future.

























Sursa: detail-online.com


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Glass and Steel in Bridge Form: Longest Glass Suspension Bridge in China

The beauty of the three gorges by Lianzhou was described by a poet from the era of the Tang Dynasty. This new suspension bridge will harmoniously coexist with its natural surroundings even though it has several highly technical components.

The canyons in the Huangchuan Three Gorges Scenic Area are already known as a must-see. Rivers meander among forested mountains before flowing into the Pearl River Delta. In order to promote local tourism, the world's most recent longest glass suspension bridge has been built here. It supersedes its predecessor, also Chinese, which only a few years before had superseded yet another Chinese predecessor in its turn. A certain preference for these Chinese tourist attractions can be evinced.

The two towers in vibrant red make the bridge an unmistakable landmark. The main cables are also in the same vivid colour. As typhoons are frequent in this area in the summer months, an additional cable system has been installed for lateral stability. It runs beneath the earth and is fixed to concrete anchors in the cliffside, a task made more difficult by the karstification of the stone and the high proportion of silt. The design features significant wind resistance thanks to wind-tunnel testing of 1:1 models during the design process.

Visitors to the attraction can now stroll a length of 526.14 m. They will enjoy not only an unobstructed view of the waterfalls beside the bridge, but also of the gorge beneath their feet. The deck consists of three layers of a particularly transparent glass. It has been coated and tempered to withstand the load of 500 people and yet ensure an optical transmission factor of 99.15 %. In four places, the bridge widens to 8.80 m, creating small platforms or niches where visitors can rest and take photos without disturbing the flow of traffic. The stainless-steel handrails and the suspension cables, onto which double-T profiles have been mounted to form the subconstruction of the bridge, are visually reticent. They have been optimized primarily for purposes of future maintenance so that the bridge may bask in its record-breaking glory a while longer.

































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^ Mulțumesc, știrea e fantastică (eu sunt câmpinean ), dar:
- începând de pe aici și până la gara Telega (Zorile), șinele au fost deja demontate din teren, iar terasamentul e o junglă prin care nu se poate trece;
- oameni tâmpiți, dar mai nou puternici politic, vor să facă pe acolo o șosea;
- din păcate, simpla clasare ca monument istoric în România nu salvează de la ruină, distrugere sau chiar demolare.

În orice caz, felicitări din tot sufletul Asociației ,,Suntem România", deși nu înțeleg de ce se opune transformării liniei într-un traseu pietonal și velo. Dimpotrivă, cred că linia ar putea fi salvată dacă s-ar circula pe ea, nu dacă ar rămâne un muzeu nepăzit. Pe principiul că acolo unde e trafic e mai greu să furi sau să vandalizezi, iar autoritățile pot fi mai ușor convinse să întrețină sau să repare. Iată aici un exemplu de cale ferată desființată. Cea mai mare parte a ei a fost convertită în pistă de biciclete, podurile și tunelurile au fost astfel salvate și reabilitate, iar unele din fostele halte au fost renovate în scopuri turistice. Într-adevăr, o parte din fostele gări au fost vândute unor persoane private, dar cumpărătorii sunt obligați să păstreze aspectul clădirilor și indicatoarele (exemplu, alt exemplu). În anumite locuri au fost păstrate inclusiv câteva zeci de metri de șine, un exemplu fiind aici. Da, aceea este o locuință privată! Ce diferență față de fosta gară Telega (Zorile), vândută unor foști ceferiști, acum cu cotețe-anexă, berze ornamentale din gips și balcoane de termopan.

Sunt cel mai mare susținător al promovării patrimoniului industrial, ar trebui urgent clasate cât mai multe foste sau actuale ateliere, uzine, mine, ocne, saline, gări, șamd, dar cred că păstrarea în teren a kilometri întregi de șină fără asigurarea unei circulații feroviare măcar turistice este puțin utopică. Însă pot fi păstrate cât mai multe elemente punctuale (poduri, podețe, halte, cantoane, borne kilometrice, componente de semnalizare) și convertită linia propriu-zisă în traseu pietonal și de biciclete. Astfel de proiecte primesc imediat finanțare europeană, mai ales în această perioadă. Și ar fi fantastic dacă, printr-un astfel de proiect, ar fi reabilitat și frumosul pod peste Doftana al lui Elie Radu.

Pornind de la descrierea lui @nenea_hartia (căruia îi mulțumesc pentru prezentare ), am găsit asta:

Rail-trails are former railway lines that have been converted to paths designed for pedestrian, bicycle, skating, equestrian, and/or light motorized traffic. Most are multiuse trails offering at least pedestrians and cyclists recreational access and right-of-way to the routes. The characteristics of abandoned railways—flat, long, frequently running through historical areas—are appealing for various developments. The term sometimes also covers trails running alongside working railways; these are called "rails with trails". Some shared trails are segregated, with the segregation achieved with or without separation. Many rail trails are long-distance trails.

A rail trail may still include rails, such as light rail or streetcar. By virtue of their characteristic shape (long and flat), some shorter rail trails are known as greenways and linear parks.

In a number of cities disused rail tracks have been converted into linear parks. One example is the High Line (also known as "High Line Park"), a 1.45-mile-long (2.33 km) elevated linear park created on an elevated section of a disused New York Central Railroad. Inspired by the 3-mile-long (4.8 km) Promenade plantée (tree-lined walkway), a similar project in Paris completed in 1993, the High Line has been redesigned and planted as an aerial greenway and rails-to-trails park.

Rail trail conversions can be complex for legal, social, and economic reasons Railroads in North America were often built with a mix of purchased land, government land grants, and easements. The land deeds can be over a hundred years old, land grants might be conditional upon continuous operation of the line, and easements may have expired, all expensive and difficult issues to determine at law.

Railroad property rights have often been poorly defined and sporadically enforced, with neighboring property owners intentionally or accidentally using land they do not own. Such encroachers often later oppose a rail to trail conversion. Even residents who are not encroaching on railway lands may oppose conversion on the grounds of increased traffic in the area and the possibility of a decline in personal security. Because linear corridors of land are only valuable if they are intact, special laws regulate the abandonment of a railroad corridor. In the United States, the Surface Transportation Board (STB) regulates railroads, and can allow a corridor to be "rail banked" or placed on hold for possible conversion back to active status when or if future need demands.

While many rail trails have been built, other proposals have been cancelled by community opposition. The stature of the conversion organization, community involvement, and government willingness are key factors.

On the other hand, there are a growing number of cases where existing rails and infrastructure, in service or not, are being called to be torn up for trails. Two cases of this are in New York State, against the Catskill Mountain Railroad in Kingston, New York, and the Adirondack Scenic Railroad in Old Forge, New York. In Connecticut, the not-in-service section of track on the Valley Railroad has been proposed by locals to be converted to trail. Though perceived by residents to be, as it has not carried a train since the 1960s, the railroad has never been formally abandoned. The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection acquired the line from Penn Central in 1969, and subsequently signed a long-term lease with the railroad. The railroad has been continually working to bring this section of the line back into service. Both Departments strongly support the preservation of the line, and have provided support to the railroad with property encroachment from abutters and the provision of railroad ties. All three of these examples are heritage railroads, which serve to protect the history of the railroad. Their primary revenue is tourist operations, so rail traffic is seasonal; though all three have been granted rights to carry freight, should customers show interest.

Though rare, there are several cases in which trails convert back to active railroads. One example occurred in 2012 in Clarence, Pennsylvania, where the R.J. Corman Railroad Company received permission to rebuild 20 miles (32 km) of railbanked line to serve new industries. Conrail had ceased operating over the line in 1990, and 10 miles (16 km) was converted to the Snow Shoe Rails to Trails.

Most original rail lines were surveyed for ease of transport and gentle (often less than 2%) grades. Therefore, the rail trails that succeeded them are often fairly straight and ideally suited to overcome steep or awkward terrain such as hills, escarpments, rivers, swamps, etc. Rail trails often share space with linear utilities such as pipelines, electrical transmission wires, and telephone lines.

Most purchase of railway land is dictated by the free market value of the land, so that land in urban and industrial cores is often impractical to purchase and convert. Therefore, rail trails may end on the fringes of urban areas or near industrial areas and resume later, as discontinuous portions of the same rail line, separated by unaffordable or inappropriate land.

A railroad right-of-way (easement) width varies based on the terrain, with a 100 feet (30 m) width being ample enough where little surface grading is required. The initial 705 miles (1,135 km) stretch of the Illinois Central Railroad is the most liberal in the world with a width of 200 feet (61 m) along the whole length of the line. Rail trails are often graded and covered in gravel or crushed stone, although some are paved with asphalt and others are left as dirt. Where rail bridges are incorporated into the trail, the only alterations (if any) tend to be adding solid walking areas on top of ties or trestles, though bridges in poorer condition do receive new guardrails, paint, and reinforcement. If paved, they are especially suitable for people who use wheelchairs.

Where applicable, the same trails used in the summer for walking, jogging, and inline skating can be used in the winter for Nordic skiing, snowshoeing, and sometimes snowmobiling.

In United States:
In North America, the decades-long consolidation of the rail industry led to the closure of a number of uneconomical branch lines and redundant mainlines. Some were maintained as short line railways, but many others were abandoned. The first abandoned rail corridor in the United States converted into a recreational trail was the Elroy-Sparta State Trail in Wisconsin, which opened in 1967. The following year the Illinois Prairie Path opened. The conversion of rails to trails hastened with the federal government passing legislation promoting the use of Railbanking for abandoned railroad corridors in 1983 which was upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1990.[4] This process preserves rail corridors for possible future rail use with interim use as a trail. By the 1970s, even main lines were being sold or abandoned. This was especially true when regional rail lines merged and streamlined their operations. As both the supply of potential trails increased and awareness of the possibilities rose, state governments, municipalities, conservation authorities, and private organizations bought the rail corridors to create, expand or link green spaces.

In Germany:
Germany has the largest number of rail trails in Europe, with 677 rail trails with a total length of 5,020 kilometres (3,120 mi) (as at February 2015). 80 more projects are being planned or under construction. Some of the longest rail trails are in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate. These are the Maare-Mosel-Radweg with 39 kilometres (24 mi) on the old rail track, the Ruwer-Hochwald-Radweg with 44 kilometres (27 mi) on the old rail track and the Schinderhannes-Radweg with 36 kilometres (22 mi) on the old track of the Hunsrück Railway. Up to date, the 23 km long Nordbahntrasse in Wuppertal is still the rail trail with the highest standard in Germany and is a prime example of conversion of an abandoned railway track into a multiuser cycling path.

In United Kingdom:
With almost 150 tracks in use, the United Kingdom has the second-largest network of rail trails in Europe after Germany. The development of rail trails in the United Kingdom grew after a major programme of railway line closures in the 1960s known as the Beeching cuts. The scheme, named after Dr. Richard Beeching the then chairman of British Railways, decommissioned approximately 5,000 miles (8,000 km) of railway lines all over Great Britain. Many rural and suburban lines were closed along with selected main line trunk routes. Since then, approximately 1,200–2,200 miles (1,900–3,500 km) of disused railway lines in Britain have been converted to public leisure purposes, and today the majority of rail trails are maintained by either the local authority or charitable organisations such as Sustrans, the Railway Ramblers or Railway Paths.

Many of these former railway lines form part of the British National Cycle Network, connecting with long-distance paths and towpaths along Britain's extensive network of canals. For example, the Milton Keynes redway system runs throughout Milton Keynes in Buckinghamshire, England, in parts using the former trackbed of the defunct Wolverton to Newport Pagnell Line (closed 1962) and the Grand Union Canal towpath. Together, these paths form part of the long-distance National Cycle Network Route 6 and Route 51. Other urban and suburban rail trails include the Fallowfield Loop Line in Manchester, the Middlewood Way in Cheshire and the Ebury Way in Watford. Notable rural rail trails include the Dava Way, running along the route of the former Highland Railway between Grantown and Forres in the Scottish Highlands, and the High Peak Trail in the English Peak District. In London, a more unusual scheme has been proposed to convert some disused London Underground tunnels into subterranean rail trails under the city, but this scheme has not been officially approved.

In Spain:
With more than 2,500 kilometers of rail trails (Via Verde) in a network of 117 cycling and walking itineraries, Spain ranks high in the European greenways scene. The trails are managed or coordinated by the Spanish Railways Foundation, an institution created in 1985. Many of the converted tracks were originally built for the mining industry, connecting remote mountain sites with port locations on the coast, now offering picturesque rides from wild interior landscapes to the seaside.

In Ireland:
Cuts to Ireland's once expansive rail network in the mid 20th century left Ireland with a vast network of disused railways. While many lines were ripped up and the sections of the land acquired by private owners, a number of former railways do exist intact, thus providing the option for the development of many rail trails in the future.

The rail-trail on the former Westport to Achill Island line, known as the Great Western Greenway, was completed in 2011. Much progress has been made on the development of a rail-trail on the former Limerick to Tralee/Fenit line, in the form of the Great Southern Trail. As of 2013, a 36-kilometre (22 mi) section from Rathkeale to Abbeyfeale has been completed.

Planning permission has been granted to redevelop the former Galway to Clifden railway into a greenway, but negotiations are still underway with landowners regarding its routing. A section of the Waterford, Limerick and Western Railway railway line, from Claremorris to Collooney has been touted for redevelopment as a greenway, but has met with some recent opposition from groups wishing for the redevelopment of the former railway itself.

In Belgium:
The RAVeL network in Belgium combines converted tracks, byways and towpaths, adding up to a total of 1,200 km (750 mi) , a significant figure considering the size of the country. The gradient is never more than six per cent, and the tracks are open to all forms of non-motorised travellers, including cyclists, horse-riders, hikers and even roller-bladers. There is also the Vennbahn, which runs along an unusual border between Belgium and Germany.

Mai multe detalii.

Câteva imagini:


































Mai multe poze (de la @nenea_hartia).

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Dafne Schippers Bridge in Utrecht



The long jump, sprint and heptathlon are the specific disciplines of Dutch track-and-field superstar Dafne Schippers. Broad spans, short paths and multifunctionality also characterize this bridge in Utrecht, which bears her name. The Dafne Schippers Bridge connects the western residential area of the city with the Leidsche Rijn urban expansion zone on the other bank of the Amsterdam-Rhine Canal.

Next Architects and Rudy Uytenhaak have brought together three elements − a bicycle path, a park and a school − as a cohesive whole in their design. A section of the access ramp leading to the bridge, which forms a large hairpin curve, runs directly over the roof of the school. At the same time, it marks the separation between a public park farther to the north and the more intimate schoolyard.

Next Architects is an international architecture studio that has been working at the intersection of research and design in the areas of urban planning, architecture, interior design and infrastructure since its inception in 1999. Above all, the studio has made a name for itself with bridges and traffic infrastructure featuring added value in terms of both function and design.
The studio is based in Amsterdam; the branch there is directed by three partners: Bart Reuser, Marijn Schenk and Michel Schreinermachers. Since 2005, Next Architects has also been operating an office in Beijing under the leadership of John van de Water.









































Sursa.

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Un alt model de ,,rail-trail":
Obstructed Views at High Line Park

New York City's High Line Park, which was completed in three phases between 2009 and 2014, is not merely an architectural highlight, but also one of the city's greatest attractions. However, it is being increasingly hemmed in by pushy investor architecture.

In a way similar to what has already happened in London, the world's super-rich have now discovered the potential of New York's real-estate market for investment and speculation. Outrageously expensive luxury apartment complexes and towers are currently springing up like mushrooms; entire districts are changing thanks to a dramatic gentrification process that is, to a significant extent, displacing local populations and small businesses. Nowhere in the city is this development as drastic as it is in the area of High Line, which was designed by architects and landscape planners Diller Scofidio + Renfro and James Corner Field Operations.

The phenomenon is particularly exemplified by the part of Chelsea where a few months ago the address at 520 West 28th Street, designed by Zaha Hadid Architects, was occupied by an expressive shell of organically formed stainless-steel elements. The most expensive apartment here is said to have gone for just under 50 million dollars. However, kitty corner to 520 West 28th, this price has been surpassed by a 930-m² unit that takes up three floors of a glass cube by Peter Marino.

Apart from various other complexes that are currently approaching completion, the structural work of Bjarke Ingels' Twisting High Line Towers is rising about a kilometre south of the Chelsea development. As with the Zaha Hadid design, it is their spectacular shape that takes centre stage. In comparison, the new buildings coming up against the north end of the park appear rather bland. This is where the largest urban development project in the history of New York, known as Hudson Yards, is currently underway. The massive mountain of diversely shaped skyscrapers that shimmer in a uniform blue-grey extends right to the park trail. Indeed, their various perspectives now form the background for visitors to the park. The enormous new development area will be loosened up by Thomas Heatherwick's somewhat idiosyncratic sculpture Vessel, a honeycomb of interconnected stairways, as well as by a project already widely admired although it will not be completed until 2019: Diller Scofidio + Renfro's The Shed, a structure that will be characterized by its retractable roof that is to open and close by means of huge rollers. This structure of steel and membrane, which will stand at the foot of a high-rise by the same planners, will be a multipurpose space for cultural events and the art scene. It, too, will extend all the way to the edge of the park. Whether this gigantic, high-tech building by the architects of High Line itself will later be seen as a threat or an architectural highlight that enhances the neighbourhood will be determined after its completion.























Sursa.


Sau așa (deși aici nu a existat o cale ferată, acest parc se integrează foarte bine în peisajul urban):
Green Meets Grey: Hunter's Point South Waterfront Park in New York

In cooperation with Arup, the architects from SWA/Balsley and Weiss/Manfredi have completed the second and final phase of Hunter's Point South Waterfront Park. Against the impressive backdrop of the Manhattan skyline, 45,000 m² of local recreation space have been created near the water.

The park lies directly on the East River, with panoramic views of Manhattan. It develops along the riverbank in the form of a diverse landscape that extends to the southern spit known as Hunter's Point. As its name suggests, the park also provides flood control. A planted wetland and floodplain measuring around 6,000 m² serves to protect the land from erosion, improve water quality and offer a home for wildlife.

Many walking paths crisscross the park, leading through a diverse planted topography. Strategic access points are connected and lie like a dynamic net over the recreation space. While in some places, the path makes a slight zigzag through Hunter's Point South Waterfront Park, a continuous trail meanders through the grounds on the slight embankment.

Landscaping features such as stairways and terraces are found throughout the park. Seats that invite visitors to linger a while line the paths, as do areas for sports as well as playgrounds. A jutting viewing platform of steel offers the opportunity for park-goers to rest their eyes on the view over Manhattan.































Sursa.


Și un model de planificare a unui parc:

Chapman Taylor unveil 80 hectare masterplan for third largest Polish city

The functions for the World Horticultural EXPO in Lódz, are arranged around four themed zones and developed in consultation with the city and more than 50 other organisations

The 80 hectare project is the first of its kind because, whereas all previous World Horticultural EXPO developments were created in remote, undeveloped areas, in Łódź it is located in the heart of the city centre, not far from the main railway station and surrounded by urban fabric. The site includes two existing parks, as well as the areas adjacent to the city's Medical University.

Chapman Taylor's masterplan concept represents a stepchange for EXPO, with an intensive focus on regenerating, restoring, recycling, repurposing and reusing.

The theme of 'Nature of Leisure' details that May the 3rd Park represents forest and lake environments, offering family recreation as well as sport and fitness options for people of all ages within the park's restored and enhanced spaces, designed with respect for its history.

The 'Nature of Living' theme; Baden Powell Park will host the main EXPO programme, including the Polish Pavilion, the City of Łódź Pavilion surrounded by Gardens of Four Cultures, the international participants' National Gardens, an amphitheatre, a viewing tower and exhibition halls.

Additionally, 'Nature of Health'; the Zieleniec area includes environmentally friendly design solutions combined with EcoUMed Health Academy's horti therapy programme, Gardens of Healthy Food, Clean Air and Water, Gardens of Senses and the Circular Village.

Lastly, 'Nature of Business' where the Zatorze area will host conferences, seminars, science meetings and business networking, with a focus on the exchange of ideas for improving quality of life.

In addition, an overall "Nature of Us" theme combines elements of all the others to reflect a modern city that provides employment, facilitates rest and recharging in green surroundings, showcases cultural diversity and provides daily close contact with the environment, providing significant physical and mental health benefits.

Exhibitors and participants are expected from 43 countries, including international organisations, sponsors and partners. It is anticipated that 4.5 million visitors will attend EXPO during the six months in which it will be open.

After EXPO completes, some facilities will remain, while others will be converted to new uses such as permanent exposition spaces as well as business and administration, cultural, educational, healthcare, sport and leisure, recreational and gastronomic facilities, all within a mostly retained and carefully maintained, landscaped green environment. Some pavilions, structures and installations will be moved to other locations within the city, mainly its public green areas, parks and squares.

Horticultural EXPO is part of the city's longer term development strategy, incorporating substantially more green space within the city's urban fabric as an engine of urban regeneration, creating pocket gardens, woonerfs (living streets) and a network of over 120km of green trails as the core elements of the "Blue-Green Network", a spatial development strategy connecting the city with its green surroundings, natural parks and forests, rivers, water reservoirs and trails.

Chapman Taylor was awarded the public tender to create the Łódź EXPO masterplan concept in December 2018. In 2018, the city of Łódź in central Poland was awarded Horticultural EXPO (Green EXPO), an international exhibition devoted to the use of greenery and landscaping in urban environments. A 30 strong multidisciplinary team worked intensively under the direction of Associate Director Mariusz Wróblewski, in collaboration with the City and other stakeholders, to deliver this innovative design in December 2019. Originally scheduled for 2024, the COVID-19 pandemic has led to the Łódź event being rearranged for 2029.





























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Radovi na izgradnji šetališta uz rijeku Moraču i radovi na adaptaciji Njegoševog parka, 10.11.2021 (Translate: Lucrări de construcție a promenadei de-a lungul râului Morača și lucrări de adaptare a Parcului Njegoš):

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"Baana": pedestrian and bicycle corridor
A deep railway cutting which slices through the urban fabric has been converted into a pedestrian and bicycle corridor in a resource-saving collaborative process that also respects the memory of an industrial past.

Previous state:

In 1894 a railway line was constructed on the outskirts of Helsinki, running between the central station and Länsisatama ("West Harbour" in Finnish). The infrastructure required the excavation of an uncovered canyon of some seven metres deep and almost a kilometre and a half long. Helsinki subsequently expanded, surrounding the cutting which, although crossed by seven bridges, still constituted a gash in the urban fabric. In 2008, the cargo port was moved to the Vuosaari neighbourhood and work began on a new residential zone in Länsisatama. The railway connection which had been used to transport goods between the port and the station was no longer necessary and the future of the cutting was uncertain.

Aim of the intervention:

Covering the man-made canyon to make an underground tunnel would restore continuity to the urban layout, but this option is expensive and will take time. Meanwhile, another plan which has been in the pipeline since 2003 took the form of a process involving residents, university students and a range of municipal departments. This led to a call for entries in a competition for architecture, art and design students in order to bring together proposals which were then presented to residents for their criticisms and suggestions. International workshops were also organised with a view to enhancing the cutting with art works, and there was also an open competition to decide the most appropriate name.

Description:

The track, which was opened in 2012 after three years of work, was finally named "Baana", which means "rail" in colloquial Finnish. It links the new residential zone of Länsisatama with the Helsinki city centre by way of a series of landscaped and garden areas full of suggestive railway motifs. The northern section begins near the Parliament building at street level and almost immediately drops down into the cutting which runs between two old masonry retaining walls. The bike lanes have been asphalted and access has been provided from both sides, although an effort has been made to conserve as much as possible the original structures and materials. The somewhat gloomy ruggedness of the cutting contrasts with the new sports and artistic installations in colours as bright as those of the goods containers that used to move along the track. The seven bridges crossing the cutting have also been renovated and equipped with new lighting. The already-existing wild plants have now been supplemented with flowering creepers, several varieties of tall grass, and different types of bushes with perennial foliage to give an individual touch to each section of the cutting. At the southern end, near the new residential Länsisatama district, the cutting emerges at street level once again, now into a large, open space equipped with basketball courts, pétanque pitches and ping-pong tables.

Assessment:

The option of this austere, versatile and resistant project of recycling the railway track has been so enthusiastically received by very different kinds of users that the authorities are now considering widening the bicycle tracks and even introducing a network of similar Baana routes throughout the city. Fruit of a complex process of cooperative endeavour involving the administration, academics and residents, this example of temporary urban planning safeguards industrial memory, saves resources for the future, and also establishes a non-commercial shared space. Given the success of this exercise in balancing costs and benefits it would seem that the eventual project of covering of the cutting can wait.

Înainte:


După:
















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Public Baths in the Port
Bathing piers built over the waters of the beautiful Faaborg fjord endow a previously neglected area of the port with a recreational, inclusive dimension.

Previous state:

In 2007, as a result of the most recent Danish territorial reform, several towns in the south of Funen Island were united in the municipality of Fåborg-Midtfyn. The largest of these, Faaborg, is on the coast and has a population of just over seven thousand. It has a port in the fjord, Faaborg Havn, where ferries depart for Bjørnø and Avernakø islands, which are visible on the horizon. Industrial and mercantile activity continues in the port although, nowadays, it also has two leisure boat marinas.

The larger one, on the western side opens onto a totally privatised strip of the coast where luxurious mansions have gardens going all the way down to the sea and even private jetties giving access to their properties. The smaller marina on the eastern side where the ferry terminal is located adjoins the old town centre. Unlike the former, this section of the coast does have a public footpath running between private properties and the water. A narrow track, suitable for walkers and cyclists only, it leads to the port after crossing a large grassy field and an asphalt car park. Although the last section of the path crosses an open space with marvellous views, the area was run down and had failed to make the most of the opportunity to structure the relationship between Faaborg and the Baltic Sea.

Aim of the intervention:

With the aim of improving this relationship, the Fåborg-Midtfyn municipal council called for entries in a competition with a view to installing more than two thousand square metres of public baths in an area next to the grassy field. Financed with more than two and a half million euros, the winning project had the help and support of local residents and sports clubs. In a series of workshops they listed, mapped and discussed the needs and wishes of future users, and it was decided that different zones should be devoted to the needs of specific activities and age groups. The workshop participants also expressed their determination that the construction and functioning of the public baths should be sustainable and environmentally friendly.

Description:

Palm-shaped in layout, the new Faaborg public baths consist of four elongated platforms radially extending from a central trunk like fingers from a hand. They spread out over the open sea of the fjord at different heights and are separated by angular bays which offer a variety of relationships with the water. They all are covered with wooden decking that rise to form ramps, tiered seating and steps.

In the central trunk next to the grassy field near the port the decking rises to cover two separate buildings, thus forming lookout terraces with good views of the town and the fjord. Thanks to this gesture, both buildings are perfectly integrated into the general volume of the baths. The larger building houses public facilities, dressing rooms, storage space for rowers and divers, and a small café with a terrace. The other, located further out to sea, is a sauna for winter swimmers. The easternmost of the four radial platforms, which has the smallest surface of the four, abuts the wharf of the coastal footpath where it provides a ramp leading up to the baths. The next finger, the biggest one, has a children's swimming pool and a play area with equipment for experimental water games. The third and longest platform, an extension of the trunk, rises at the end in tiered seating which, at the top doubles as a high diving board. The westernmost platform is used as a solarium and also as a jetty for kayaks and other nautical activities.

The design of the whole complex is highly sensitive to people with seeing and mobility disabilities. Moreover, from beginning to end, the process of constructing the baths was inspired by the cradle-to-cradle principle, a biomimetic approach going beyond the premises of classical environmental thinking —reduce, reuse, recycle— to establish regenerative cycles attentive to all the phases of each component of the construction —extraction, processing, use, reuse and recycling— closing them with a positive energy balance.

Assessment:

With its public baths, Faaborg holds out a hand to the sea. This is more than a metaphorical gesture with the hand-shaped structure of its platforms. What was once a disused, run-down space is now attractive and full of life. The intervention represents a change of attitude towards city port areas. It is true that with deindustrialisation and obsolescence of their installations, many urban ports are losing their mercantile and productive nature and taking on a purely recreational dimension. But it is also true that this reconquest of such zones for leisure purposes usually entails the creation of exclusive, excluding spaces, as occurs with luxury marinas and wharves for cruise ships, which are not only inaccessible to many people but also represent a highly unsustainable model that squanders energy and generates a vast amount of waste materials. The Faaborg baths, however, offer inclusive use of the port area and are accessible to all people, whatever their age or physical and economic condition. Moreover, they are also a meeting place where people can come together in a way that is sustainable and respectful of the marine ecosystem. Thus, these baths draw attention to a colossal truth: the sea belongs to everyone, both those who enjoy it today and those who will inherit it tomorrow.

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A8ernA
Layout for the space covered by motorway A8, in the historic centre of Koog aan de Zaan.

Previous state:

Koog aan de Zaan, eleven kilometres north-west of Amsterdam, is a small city on the banks of the River Zaan. In the 1970s, as part of a rough territorial organisation of the region, the river banks were densely built up and the city, was assimilated into the new municipality of Zaanstadt with six other urban nuclei.

At the same time the A8 was built, which passes through the city centre on stark seven-metre high pillars just after crossing the river. In an ironic application of the modern separation between state and church, this dramatic slashing of the urban fabric passed over the High Street leaving the church on the south side and the town hall on the north side. For over thirty years, beneath the slab of the monumental infrastructure there remained a strip about forty metres wide and four hundred long at the mercy of badly parked cars and partially occupied by a small shooting range.

Aim of the intervention:

In 2003, Zaanstadt City Council decided to carry out a town planning intervention to restore the connection between the two sides of the city and enliven the strip covered by the motorway, returning to it the condition of public space for the community. In a highly participatory process, a document entitled A8ernA was drafted, containing the citizens' demands and establishing a programme of uses that had to include a connection with the River Zaan, a park, an exhibition space understood as a 'graffiti gallery', a car park for 120 vehicles, a supermarket and a flower and pet shop. The conservation of the small shooting range was also required.

The project proposed is based on an optimistic attitude which views the monumental presence of the infrastructure as an opportunity rather than an obstacle. The opportunity lies in the fact that, owing to its morphology and its central location close to the river, the slab of the motorway can be understood as a large civic arcade perfectly capable of housing all the citizens' programmatic requirements and even extending them.

Description:

Two intercrossing streets divide the large arcade into three differentiated zones. In the central one is a covered square where we find the supermarket, the flower and pet shops, some letter boxes and a luminous fountain. At the eastern end, crossing the High Street, there is a 'sculptural' bus stop and a small harbour with a panoramic platform. The harbour brings the water as far as the High Street and fills the ceiling of the new public space with light reflections when it is sunny. The panoramic platform provides the citizens with an exceptional window over the River Zaan which, given the high density of industrial buildings on the banks, had until now been left out of the public domain. At the western end there is a children's and teenagers' playground consisting of a 'graffiti gallery', a skateboarding park, a break dance stage, some football and ping-pong tables, a seven-a-side football pitch, a basketball court and the 'lovers' benches'. The skateboarding park consists of a series of large semi-spherical concavities built with a sophisticated technique using blocks of polystyrene cut to measure with a computer-controlled saw and coated with concrete.

There was also work done outside the space covered by the motorway, at the height of the covered square, on both the town hall and the church sides. It generated a succession of public spaces following an axis perpendicular to the motorway and parallel to the High Street. In front of the church, it was decided to free the square of the existing greenery to make the space flexible for housing open air fairs and celebrations. On the paving of the refurbished square, with a change in the colour of the blocks, the urban fabric that preceded the building of the motorway is redrawn. From time to time pieces of wood set into the paving point to the position of the living rooms of old demolished houses. On the town hall side there is a new park with topographical features that adds a little green to the intervention. The park includes a bowling ground, a small grassy hill planted with birch trees, a space for barbecues and a football pitch surrounded by a metal fence. The shooting range has been kept beneath the motorway exit ramp.

Assessment:

The outstanding merit of this intervention–both the commission and the resolution–lies in the treatment of a great paradox. With no modification to its morphology, the motorway, which before was an impenetrable town planning barrier, has now become a large threshold which reunites the city in two senses: first by bringing its three parts back in touch: the south, the north and the River Zaan; second by bringing the citizens together under a single roof which covers the host of uses they demanded and proposed.

In this sense A8ernA is an occupation rather than a work or a construction, to be understood as a reinterpretation of the way to inhabit a pre-existing space. With an attitude which is unusual in interventions on the public space, the solution proposes a new content instead of a new container. As if it were a matter of furnishing an unfriendly house to make it into a home, the pieces are juxtaposed in an amalgam of heterogeneous objects. This deliberately eclectic and fragmentary arrangement counteracts the unitarian character of the monumental presence of the porticoed slab.

David Bravo Bordas, architect

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Sea Organ
Sea organ on the new marine parade of the Zadar peninsula (Croatia)

Previous state:

On the Adriatic coast of the Dalmatia region, the city of Zadar is familiarly known to its inhabitants as the 'stone vessel' because it occupies a small elongated peninsula. During the Second World War the city became the headquarters of a German garrison and was bombed seventy-two times by British and American planes.

When the war ended the chaotic reconstruction of the city resolved the north-western seafront of the peninsula, the prow of the 'stone vessel', with an indifferent concrete wall that did not correct its neglected state. In spite of the superb sunset over the Adriatic Sea–described by Alfred Hitchcock as 'the most beautiful in the world'–the spot was hardly visited by the citizens of Zadar.

Aim of the intervention:

In 2004, given the incipient tourist activity in Croatia, the Zadar Port Authority, with the support of the Municipal Government, decided to undertake the reconstruction of that segment of the seafront and equip it as an arrival jetty for the cruise ships. And so the 'stone vessel' would be rescued from negligent municipal oblivion and become the gateway to the city.

This new arrival point made clear the need for a marine parade that would resolve the route to the city. But the place would not have a merely vestibular function, exclusively aimed at receiving tourists; the citizens of Zadar had to definitively make it theirs.

Description:

Finished in 2005, the new arrival jetty for the cruise ships occupies the far north-western tip of the peninsula with a large corner platform where the marine parade that follows the south-western shore begins. It is at the confluence of the platform and the parade that the sea organ extends along a seventy metre front. The solution adopted consists of resolving the meeting with the water gradually, by means of a flight of broad white marble steps that go down beneath the waves.

The steps are made up of seven parallel flights, each one ten metres wide. The seven flights are juxtaposed in such a way that at each change of flight there is a difference of one step; that means that the steps both at the junction with the parade and at the water's edge the flights present a staggered silhouette. The first three are the longest; they consist of six steps and descend about two metres, which is the highest level of the cruise ship arrival platform. From the fourth flight, the height of the parade gently approaches the water level, so that each new flight loses one step. The last flight, which has reached the definitive level of the parade, has only two steps above the water.

But the proper adaptation to the topography of the parade is not the only explanation for the variations in the dimensions of the flights of steps. There is another which establishes a clear formal analogy with the variations in dimension and arrangement of the parts of a musical instrument. A series of polyethylene tubes of different diameters run along the inside surface of each flight of steps, connecting the submerged part with a gallery that runs along beneath the parade. With the variable force of the waves, the water penetrates the lower end of the tubes and is carried into the subterranean gallery, which collects it and returns it to the sea. In this process the air of the interior of the conduits is pushed to orifices that connect the gallery with the surface of the parade, generating sound vibrations which, given the variations in the diameter and length of the tubes, cover a broad range of musical tones.

Assessment:

Despite the existence of a previous sea organ, built in 1986 in San Francisco Bay by Peter Richards, the Zadar sea organ excels for its formal simplicity. Avoiding the abruptness of the common jetty, understood as a rectilinear platform elevated above the water level, the Zadar steps allow the dissolution of the border between land and water and preserve a dilated transit space between the two. In that way the jetty is no longer an unexpected barrier that protects but distances man from the sea; it summons, like a beach, the coming and going of the waves. The section of the flight of steps makes it a perfect grandstand for watching the sunset over the sea and the outline of the neighbouring island of Ugljan, while listening to the musical compositions played by the sea itself. Inevitably these two great attractions have not passed unnoticed by the citizens of Zadar, who have now really appropriated this public space with general devotion.

David Bravo Bordas, architect

















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Exemplu de promovare și de valorificare a patrimoniului industrial:
Recovery of the ENCI Quarry
The anthropic landscape of the ENCI quarry which supplied the Netherlands with cement for more than a century has been restored in the form of a large peri-urban park with spaces evoking water and vegetation.

Previous state:

The ENCI quarry, in operation since 1926, has supplied the Netherlands with cement for more than a century. The excavation, remarkable for its size, has created a unique artificial landscape which has now been transformed into an impressive natural reserve. The site of the quarry is Mount Saint Peter, one of the few peaks standing out on the flat Dutch countryside. Thanks to its outstanding natural attributes, it has now been listed as a Natura 2000 site which is remarkable for its visible industrial formation within a system of underground caves of some 150 km in length. This has led to unique geological discoveries and has favoured the existence of biotopes that are very unusual for the country.

If the quarry generated work and income, its relationship with the citizens of Maastricht was tense from the very start owing to the huge scale of the excavation, the question of permissible emissions, and transport of products.

Aim of the intervention:

In 2008 the company, the city of Maastricht and the Province of Limburg came to an agreement which limited quarrying rights to ten more years with the aim of working towards ecological recovery of the quarry and its transformation into a place for leisure activities. Accordingly, quarrying ended in 2018 and, one year beforehand, some parts had been opened up to the public. The reason for converting it into a public space was the extraordinary industrial landscape of the site together with the biological diversity of its surrounds. An iterative approach was adopted in order to learn, through the phases, how to carry out a project of creating public spaces without conflicting with the natural reserve. As the work proceeded, it stimulated intense debates between different interest groups over such basic issues as ecology, accessibility, pollution, work, and tourism.

Description:

The project has three main parts, which have been developed in separate phases: the quarry, the transition zone, and the business park. A lookout platform was designed to offer views of the early changes and also to provide access to the place. In the first phase, the quarry was filled with water to create a lake to keep the zone damp. While half the area has dry, nutrient-poor limestone soil which encourages the growth of rare plants and the presence of insects, the other half is a system of plateaus where several watercourses form a wetlands ecosystem. The design of the second phase, centred on the so-called transition zone, an intermediate area between the business park of intensive use and the quietness of the quarry habitat, is inspired by the techniques, elements and textures of quarrying activities. A micro-topography is thus created by means of paths that draw attention to geological and spatial effects as well as a drainage system with hot- and cold-water fountains. The final phase, the business park, which is to begin in 2019, will be a campus devoted to construction materials and forms of renewable energy.

Assessment:

The quarry has been and continues to be a place giving rise to intense debate. A range of groups including environmentalists, entrepreneurs, neighbourhood associations, geologists, palaeontologists, and historians have spoken out for different positions and interests, often clashing but sometimes with mutual benefits. For example, many of the geological and paleontological discoveries would never have been made without the quarrying industry extraction. When the precinct was opened to the public for the first time in 2017 the large numbers of visitors brought about an imbalance between the envisaged symbiosis between people and nature, a situation that required a review of the design for better management in future. However, despite differences of opinion among the groups participating in the development of the project, their concerns have been taken into account in the physical intervention, thus making the quarry a true public space. A space where, to paraphrase Hannah Arendt, citizens become visible when independent and joint actions are combined.

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Exemplu de promovare și de valorificare a patrimoniului industrial 2:
Zollverein Park
After two decades of work, an old mining operation which was closed at the end of the twentieth century and subsequently declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site is now a large park combining industrial archaeology, green landscape, leisure installations, and cultural facilities.


Previous state:

The Zollverein mine is one of Germany's most important industrial relics. Operative after 1847, the complex came to occupy more than eighty hectares in precincts which included coal shafts and a coking plant to supply steel mills. It also produced secondary products including ammonia, tar and crude oil. "Mine Shaft XII", deemed to be a masterpiece of industrial architecture, was designed in 1932 by Fritz Schupp and Martin Kremmer along New Objectivity (Neue Sachlichkeit) stylistic lines influenced by the Bauhaus school. Its characteristic Doppelbock winding tower was soon to become an archetype for subsequent mining installations, to the point of becoming one of the best-known icons of German heavy industry. The complex was left remarkably intact after the Second World War and, soon afterwards, became the country's most productive mining site. Extensions to the mine in the 1970s then situated it as one of the world's leading coke producers. After that, a dropping world demand for coke, the progressive depletion of the most accessible coal deposits, the conversion of the Ruhr valley into one of Europe's most populated metropolitan regions, and the gradual diversification of its economy towards the technological industry and the tertiary sector led to a stage-by-stage closure of the complex, which definitively ended in 1993.

While its destiny was being decided, the premises were closed by a fence around its perimeter to protect it from any intrusion. Surrounded by  new urban developments, its huge extension was cut off for several years as a reserve for flora and fauna which were left undisturbed by any human presence. Birch forests and carpets of thicket, moss, and ferns took over the artificial geography made up of ramps, pit heaps, embankments, channels, ridges, and holes in the ground. It is a landscape coated in black substrate, broken by the specular surfaces of the tailings ponds, and dotted with strangely useless objects of industrial architecture, for example ventilation shafts, slender chimneys, refrigeration towers, ovens, engine rooms, electricity poles, and piles of bricks. At one point there was an attempt to sell the coke plant to China, but negotiations broke down and the installations were then in danger of demolition. Fortunately, the state of North Rhine-Westphalia acquired the mine site in 1986, as soon as "Mine Shaft XII" was closed. In 2001, just after it was catalogued and protected by the state, the entire complex was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Aim of the intervention:

In 2002, the Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas draw up a masterplan for the mining complex, and a year later the French landscaping team Agence TER produced a master plan for the regeneration of its "industrial nature". In 2005, a public entity created by the Essen City Council and the state of North Rhine-Westphalia called for entries in an international competition with a view to converting the site into a metropolitan park. The winning proposal, based on guidelines established in the previous plans, was presented by an interdisciplinary team of architects, landscapers, artists, lighting specialists, and communications professionals. On the one hand, the project aimed to manage the opening of the site to the public by means of several progressive phases, in keeping with a long-term strategy. The proposal aimed to be sufficiently robust as to ensure that it would not be diluted over time, but also flexible enough to be able to respond to unforeseen circumstances, and also to incorporate unanticipated opportunities. On the other hand, the project needed to find a basis of consensus for a mixture of actors with widely diverse needs and interests, among them politicians, residents, tourists, families with young children, elderly people, students, defenders of industrial heritage, ecologists, artists, and technicians.

Description:

The opening of Zollverein Park took place in 2005 in full awareness that the process of its definitive consolidation, if it ever happened, was going to be a long one. Since then, in accordance with the principle of "development through maintenance", the restricted zones have been shrinking to make way for a deliberately unfinished public park which, in this drawn-out process, is becoming accessible with a gradual and continuous contribution of improvements and new elements. The intervention highlights the values of the industrial heritage by means of its ongoing restoration. In 2008, for example, the old coal washing plant was transformed into the new Ruhr Museum, which has a permanent exhibition on the history of one of the world's largest industrial regions. This cultural centre organises workshops, guided tours, excursions in the park, lectures, and audiovisual screenings.

The emphasis given to the pre-existing elements contrasts with the restrained landscaping, limiting the addition of objects and materials as if fearing that, with their presence, the magic of the abandoned place might be lost. However, it is also true that some striking, even sculptural, elements have been added, among them the reception building at the park's entrance. There are also signposting devices which guide visitors through the vast space where it is not difficult to get lost, and which is not fully accessible. Nonetheless, most of the interventions are almost imperceptible and simply aspire to act as a discreet guide for the visitor. In the "track boulevard", for instance, long extensions of concrete trace rectilinear tracks over the ground of a birch forest to show the way to the museum. The "ring promenade" is an asphalted path winding around the industrial buildings to display them from different perspectives. Playgrounds are dotted here and there, among rest areas equipped with street furniture, discreet lookouts, and tucked-away gardens, all of which invite different forms of appropriation by visitors. Without any needless showiness, a lighting system of varying intensity separates the wheat from the chaff, drawing attention only to what is worth highlighting.

Assessment:

Zollverein Park has already become one of the most important points along the European Industrial Heritage Route. But, far from being a mere tourist attraction, the park is also a far-reaching vindication for the residents of Essen which, despite its industrial past is now considered to be one of Germany's greenest cities. The continuing intervention is not limited to making a museum of existing heritage but it has chosen to compose a changing but coherent landscape on the basis of pre-existing elements. The unfinished nature of the site, which is very different from the oppressive, banal determinism of a theme park, is open to intelligent interpretation by the visitor. The park even makes certain concessions to ambiguity and dysfunctionality, by which means it conserves part of the romantic spirit of an abandoned relic of the past. The effort to prolong the transition between closed precinct and open public space has become a good example of unhurried, soft urbanism, less concerned with the glamour of an inauguration than with the everyday needs of maintenance, and thus opting more for a continuous process than the finished product.

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Cuyperspassage
A new underground tunnel, more than a hundred metres long and decorated with Delft Blue tiles representing fragments of Dutch naval history, provides cyclists and pedestrians with a connection from the old city centre to quays on the IJ River waterfront.


Previous state:

With 162,000 passengers every day and fifteen international railway connections, the Amsterdam Central Station is the second largest in the Netherlands. It is situated between the old centre of the city and the south bank of the IJ River where there is a quay for ferries crossing to Amsterdam North. Opened in 1889, the railway station is one of the country's most visited heritage buildings. The neo-renaissance vestibule opening out to the city is the work of the architect Pierre Cuypers, who also designed the Rijksmuseum. The roof sheltering the platforms, which are situated along the river bank, is a cast-iron structure forty metres high. For decades, the station's location parallel to the river and the construction of a highway along the bank complicated the connection between the old city centre and the quay. Cyclists and pedestrians were obliged to go around the building and face heavy traffic, or cross through the bustling vestibule spaces which are full of kiosks, cafeterias and restaurants.

Aim of the intervention:

Since 1997, the station has been undergoing major renovation work in order to provide platforms for tracks that still do not have them, and to make space for a new underground line crossing the city from north to south. The project aims to transform the station into a major multimodal transport hub which would integrate the old building into a new complex consisting of a city and intercity bus station, the ferry terminal, three underground lines, and footbridges connecting travellers with an existing tunnel for vehicles. In 2008, taking advantage of the scale of the operation, the Amsterdam City Council commissioned the construction of a direct, safe connection overcoming the barriers presented by the station in order to expedite pedestrian and bicycle traffic, which constitutes a very important part of the city's mobility. This meant adding to the complex work of renovating the station an underground tunnel for slow traffic, a project with a budget of nearly twelve million euros which, open twenty-four hours, would accommodate some 15,000 cyclists every day.

Description:

Named "Cuypers Passage" in homage to the designer of the old station, the new underground tunnel is rectilinear in shape, 110 metres long, ten metres wide and three metres high. The tunnel section is divided into two approximately equal halves. One is occupied by a slightly raised footpath for pedestrians where the ground, the side wall and the roof are rounded off in such a way as to create a continuous surface covered with Delft Blue tiles which, forming an artistic mural created by the graphic designer Irma Boom, represent scenes from Dutch naval history. As the tunnel approaches the river, the classical lines of the images dissolve into pixels breaking them down to become an abstract design in colours ranging from sky blue to navy blue. The mural thus suggests movement from the old city to the new developments of Amsterdam North. It took five years for the supplier to produce—manually—the eighty thousand tiles needed for the passageway.

The other half of the tunnel is occupied by a two-way cycling track. This has a rougher finish with black, sound-absorbing asphalt. Both the side wall and the ceiling are finished with steel gratings which discourage the hanging of posters and graffiti. Round lights embedded in the false ceiling suggest rhythm as cyclists pass through the tunnel. The raised edge of the footpath separating it from the cycling lane has a continuous strip of LED lamps, throwing ground-level light onto the asphalt.

Assessment:

Intensively used all hours of the day, Cuypers Passage is a considerable improvement in the urban infrastructure of a city with such a profusion of bicycles. The tunnel encourages equitable, sustainable mobility by reducing the effort made by pedestrians and cyclists and easing their journey between two essential parts of the city. Unlike many other tunnels, installed with less attention to detail, the interior of this one demonstrates that functional clarity is not incompatible with delicate touches and symbolism. Thanks to the attention given to lighting, acoustics and decoration, it is clean, safe and welcoming. All in all, it is a place of passage with the sensuality of a room in the city. This is especially positive from the gender perspective. All too often women find themselves in unequal, uneasy circumstances because of the insecurity associated with this kind of corridor. Far from wasting money, investing public funds in making such places more people-friendly means democratising public space.

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Street Square
A series of terraces introduced in a sloping hillside street provides accessible public spaces for the small houses of a former informal neighbourhood built on the top of the Turó de la Rovira.

Previous state:

The Turó de la Rovira is one of the last of the hills of the Catalan Coastal Range before its slopes lose height and flatten out into the plain of Barcelona. It is one of the hills of the Collserola massif which, ranging from between 180 and 260 metres above sea level, rise above the built-up area to offer excellent vantage points for viewing the city. It is likely that this geographic situation favoured the first Iberian settlements in the fourth century BCE. More specifically, since the end of the nineteenth century the Turó de la Rovira, the site of this project, has seen several phases of urbanisation, starting with the installation of the city's water supply and the construction of the first summer residences. During the Spanish Civil War anti-aircraft gun emplacements, installed on the hill because of its strategic location overlooking the city, were essential for the defence of Barcelona. In the post-war years, large numbers of immigrants came to Barcelona from other parts of Spain and many built shacks in a settlement on the Turó de la Rovira which lasted until the 1990s. It was not until 2010 that the zone was recuperated for collective use, thanks to a project—joint winner of the 2012 European Prize for Urban Public Space—which, revealing all the different layers, drew attention to the dense history of the place. However, two streets of the small settlement of Marià Lavèrnia which, at the top of the hill, give access to the site of the project were not included in the intervention. Neglected for years, these houses from different times and of different quality had no public facilities. There was no paving, or lighting, or trees, or sanitation services. Over the years, the spaces that should have been streets became open-air parking areas for cars and motorcycles.

Aim of the intervention:

In recent years, the municipality of Barcelona has been working to create a connection between the Turó de la Rovira and the rest of the urban fabric while also imagining new walkers' itineraries linking the hilltop with some of the city's most significant features like Parc Güell, Hospital de Sant Pau, and the Sagrada Família basilica. These possible routes needed an intervention to improve the access tracks and roads leading from the settlement of Marià Lavèrnia—which is inside a wooded area—to the lookout and site of the old anti-aircraft gun emplacements. The project was part of a larger "Microbarcelones" programme designed by the Urban Habitat Office of the City Hall with the idea that any fragment of the city can be recovered despite the historic difficulties entailed. The aim of the "Microbarcelones" project is to carry out urban renewal operations in areas of the urban fabric which, although they have been neglected, contribute richness and diversity to the city. In the case of the Turó de la Rovira, the aim was to change its peripheral nature while still conserving the urban-fringe character of a semirural area with a domestic feel. This meant achieving a high-quality public space for the residents by means of a plan that would combine harmonious coexistence between visitors and residents in order to achieve the dual aim of a place for people living together there and for people who are passing through.

Description:

The project began by working on the topography of the site with an earth-moving operation. The need to have vehicular access was one of the objectives and this had to fit with the requirement of having small squares consisting of a series of flat areas the same width as the smallholdings and located at different levels down the slope to create a stepped series of horizontal spaces for relaxing lingering and encouraging new open-air activities. Each one of these level areas can be understood as public space on the domestic scale, a space outside the houses to be used by their inhabitants. The project thereby resolves a twofold geometrical challenge, namely giving access at the level of every entrance to the houses, and gradually adapting the natural slope of the land to the project. The roads have been covered with scraped concrete to prevent slippage of vehicles and the small squares are paved in travertine because of its pale colour and irregular texture resulting from its ecological history. Different rug-like patterns were chosen in order to highlight the fact that the place has been inhabited since ancient times. Trees and other plants will play an essential role in the coming years by giving the area the heat and light control necessary to favour outdoor life, and the new trees will help to re-establish continuity between the adjacent green spaces, the street and the peak of the Turó de la Rovira.

Assessment:

The project has greatly improved the street and dignified the life of the local residents after many years of neglect. Now they enjoy all the services offered by the city, including better access despite the complex topography of the hill. For the first time, they have horizontal spaces to extend the limits of their small houses and enjoy outdoor living. However, the new situation has also given rise to new problems owing to a sharp rise in the number of visitors to the Turó de la Rovira lookout, which has affected the quiet, self-contained life of the small neighbourhood. Yet, even faced with the risk of a massive influx of tourists, the project, based on the addition of the small-scale squares, helps to conserve the domestic feel of the place and allows local residents to take over the street as their own space.

In any case, the main conflict lies in the fact that, because of changes in municipal government norms, the idea of demolishing the original constructions and turning the area into a green zone has now reappeared and this would mean obliterating evidence of the settlement's existence. Countering this threat, the project has contributed by showing that the neighbourhood could be a place where residents can enjoy a very good life.

Carrer Marià Lavèrnia before the intervention:


Carrer Marià Lavèrnia seen from the peak of the Turó de la Rovira after the intervention:


The dimensions of the stepped flat areas created by the project are determined by the width of the plots of land and houses:


The series of horizontal areas has eased the process of appropriation of the street by residents:


The sequence of flat areas has given priority to allowing access to every door of the buildings in the street:


The squares extend domestic uses into public space. The trees will offer pleasant shade and encourage gradual occupation of the spaces:


Travertine paving in different patterns differentiates between the small squares in order to give them a domestic feel:


At the end of the street the squares cascade down near a pine forest:


Axonometric view of the project:


Axonometric view of the project:


The sloping topography of the street has been turned into a series of surfaces which are now also footpaths:


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"Cykelslangen"
A new bridge exclusively for cyclists snakes between commercial, residential and office buildings thus culminating the first transversal connection above the harbour to be opened in the last fifty years.


Previous state:

Kalvebod Brygge (Kalvebod Wharf) is an old port area on the northern side of the canal in the Vesterbro district of Copenhagen and very near the old city centre. For almost a century, a strip of the wharf consisting of land reclaimed from the sea was trapped between the canal and the railway lines coming into the central station. In the 1990s, the area underwent a large-scale process of urban transformation that aimed to save it from marginality and to make the most of its central location. This entailed ceasing its commercial and industrial activities and giving it a more civic character and opening it to the city. However, the urban plan designed with this project in mind ended up being slapdash and ill-conceived. Office blocks, a convention centre with a capacity of 4,000 people, several hotels with hundreds of rooms, and a big shopping centre facing away from the port came together in a messy amalgam of free-standing buildings that had not taken advantage of this chance to create high-quality public spaces.

At the turn of the century, the complex was completed with an artificial island separated from the wharf by a narrow canal. The new addition included a series of residential buildings, which brought to the zone a mixture of uses and more local activity outside working and trading hours. Moreover, a bicycle and pedestrian bridge was constructed in order to connect the island with the harbourfront area of Islands Brygge (Iceland Wharf) with the other side of the canal and Amager, Copenhagen's most populated island. Yet the complex was still badly connected with the rest of the city's urban fabric.p>

Aim of the intervention:

In 2010, the City Council announced its goal of turning Copenhagen into the "best city for bicycles". The aim was that, in five years, this means of transport would improve its figures for home-to-work trips from 38% (2010) to 50% (2015). The announcement was part of the holistic "CPH 2025 Climate Plan" which envisaged contributing to the struggle against global warming and, by 2025, becoming the world's first carbon neutral capital.

Among other measures, the plan aimed at a considerable drop in the use of private cars, to such an extent that 75% of urban trips would be done on foot, by bicycle, or with public transport. In addition to responding to the climate crisis, the plan also sought to promote a healthy lifestyle by encouraging physical exercise—and hence mobility based on walking or pedalling—and reducing noise and atmospheric pollution. Incentivising the use of bicycles meant that cyclists had to feel safer and a drop in numbers of injured cyclists, from 120 in 2005 to fewer than 40. One of the best ways to achieve this was to offer cyclists safe lanes and better infrastructure for overcoming topographic and architectural obstacles. In this regard, there was a clear demand for an exclusive bicycle lane that would complete the route along the length of the port, from Islands Brygge to Kalvebod Brygge. Just after the Brygge Bridge, which was already in use, cyclists were faced with the laborious climb up an incline of more than five metres high in order to reach Kalvebod Brygge. Hence, in 2010, the City Council called for entries in a competition to construct a bicycle bridge with a discreet presence and easy slope.

Description:

The winning proposal was called "Cykelslangen" (Cycle Snake) and cost five million euros. This is a bridge which, with subtle curves, winds along 230 metres to cover the five-metre gap with a gentle rise. Far from being random, its undulations avoid buildings, reduce the slope of the ramp, and ease the speed for cyclists on the way down. Almost five metres wide, the bridge is protected by stainless steel railings equipped with low-consumption LED lights. Surfaced with orange asphalt, the bridge flooring is supported by a longitudinal steel beam resting on metal pillars every seventeen metres. The spacing between and slimness of these vertical supports let pedestrians move freely under the bridge safely and without obstacles.

Assessment:

Opened in 2014, the "Cykelslangen", together with the pre-existing bridges, represents the culmination of the first transversal connection with the port of Copenhagen to be opened in the last fifty years. The strategic value of this connectedness explains why 12,000 cyclists use it every day. This success in terms of numbers of users, and its pleasing undulations have made it one of the most outstanding icons of the "best city for bicycles". It is one more lively example of the collective benefits of "Copenhagenisation", a term used by Danes to refer to policies that make cities more accessible for pedestrians and cyclists, and less dependent on cars. Too many cities still fall into the traps of the automobile industry which, thanks to its hegemony in terms of propaganda, is taking over the concept of "sustainable mobility" with supposedly ecological alternatives like the electric car. Fortunately, Copenhagen has shown the way to real sustainability with solutions like "Cykelslangen", which are not only more ecological and just, but also more economical, viable and enjoyable.
The area before:


Prior to the intervention. In the 1990s the area of Kalvebod Brygge underwent a sweeping process of slapdash, ill-conceived urban transformation. Office blocks, a convention centre with a capacity of 4,000 people, several hotels with hundreds of rooms, and a big shopping centre facing away from the port came together in an messy amalgam of free-standing buildings that had not taken advantage of this chance to create high-quality public spaces:


The new bridge:


Detailed bridge plan:


Elevation lower starting point:


Section lower starting point:


Section upper starting point:


Typical cross section:


Elevation upper starting point:


General plan:


Walking under the bridge:


An elevated bikeway:


A winding course:


Marathon gateway:


Bikers on the bridge:


Under the bridge:


Pedestrians under the bridge:


View from the water side:


The bridge by night:


Bikers above the water:


Sursa.


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