In order to make the area of Midden-Delfland (NL) more accessible, a design competition was held in 2014 among students from the Technical University Delft to design a foot and cycle bridge. The winning design, Symbio Bridge, created by Rafail Gkaidatzis, was built and revealed in late 2016. The bridge, which has an organic shape, is made from steel and a composite, namely fibreglass reinforced plastic.

The bridge is located on the edge of the transition between urban and rural landscape. The Ackerdijkse Bos in Midden-Delfland is a strip of nature next to the Randstad, an urban area that includes the largest cities of the Netherlands. The new bridge connects the nature with the urban area.

The Symbio Bridge consists of two large, bright red shell-shaped trusses from steel, with in between a road for cyclists and pedestrians. The shape of the trusses was inspired by the organic forms found in nature. The deck of the bridge is made from fibreglass reinforced plastic because of its long lifespan. On each side of the bridge, white seatings are incorporated in the bridge itself. Other materials used are concrete and epoxy.

The bridge is about 39 metres (128 feet) long and 10 metres (33 feet) wide.

The name of the bridge derives from the Greek word symbiosis (Greek: συν “together” and βιωσις “living”), chosen because it symbolises the interaction between nature and technology, according to the parties involved.

For a video about the project, click here (in Dutch only).

Photos: zuid-holland.nl / rhdhvarchitecture.com