Moreelsebrug Utrecht, Croeselaan Bridge Images, Dutch Urban Architecture
Moreelsebrug Utrecht
ProRail Project at Moreelsepark, Croeselaan Utrecht, Netherlands design by Cepezed Architects
Location: Moreelsepark – Croeselaan Utrecht, The Netherlands
Design: cepezed
Moreelsebrug Utrecht
photo © Jannes Linders cepezed
24 Feb 2017
Moreelsebrug in Utrecht
The Station district in Utrecht has been undergoing a real metamorphosis since some years. Between all the new buildings, conversions and renovations, the Moreelsebrug has also been realized recently.
photo © Jannes Linders cepezed
Across the railway tracks, the bridge for cyclists and pedestrians now connects the Croeselaan and the Moreelsepark with each other.
The design is by cepezed and entirely focused on presence, efficiency and functionality. The bridge is characterized by a lay-out in a single clear, open gesture with a high degree of recognizability and a natural presence.
photos © Jannes Linders cepezed
The concept consists of an elongated, raised esplanade with a high level of user appeal and ambiance, achieved through aspects such as the form, materialization and detailing and the integration of an avenue of trees into the design. As a result, the structure functions more as a high-quality continuation of the urban space than specifically as an infrastructural object.
photos © Léon van Woerkom
The bridge is simple, slender and transparent and consists of two super-sized trough girders with a middle section in between. Part of its straightforwardness is that the bridge does not span all more than 300 m in one go, but is supported at every train platform by a pylon and as a result has an unaffected stability structure.
photo © Willem Heesen
The various sight lines and orientations arise from and fit in with the given urban design situation, and as a result, the bridge is embedded into the fabric of the city in a natural way. The trees on the bridge form a raised continuation of the avenue of trees already present at ground level on the connecting routes to and from the city centre.
In this way, the bridge establishes an experience of uniformity and continuity that contributes to the naturalness of its use. At night, the bridge is modestly lit, which also contributes to the recognizability, aesthetics and functional logic; a stylish, elongated light contour with a row of trees lit from below indicates from afar the presence and objective of the bridge vaulting the railway.
There is an all-round view. Mark Hume, journalist at the Canadian newspaper The Globe and Mail, saw in the Moreelsebrug (that formerly had the working-title Rabobrug) direct possibilities for the city of Vancouver: ‘The Rabobrug,’ wrote Hume, ‘is not just a bridge, it’s an architectural statement, a beautiful structure with graceful lines that opens up a pleasant, treed boulevard in the middle of a busy city. A bridge like that over False Creek would be a tourism magnet and would extend Vancouver’s remarkable public waterfront.’
photos © Jannes Linders cepezed
What is the difference in transit time with and without the Moreelsebrug? ANS Verkeer en Ruimte (Traffic & Space) simulated the increased accessibility of the center by a fictitious walk. The starting point is the main entrance of the Rabobank on Croeselaan.
Due to the Moreelsebrug a large part of the center can be reached within a span of 25 minutes. (source: www. ansverkeerenruimte.nl).
photos © Jannes Linders cepezed
Moreelsebrug Utrecht – Bridge Information
project: Moreelsebrug
location project: Moreelsepark – Croeselaan Utrecht
client: Gemeente Utrecht, ProRail
architectural design: architectenbureau cepezed, Delft
consultant stability: ABT, Velp
consultant mechanical & electrical installations, elevators and lighting design: Arup, Amsterdam
main contractor: Colijn Beton- en Waterbouw B.V., Breda
steel contractor: BSB Staalbouw, Sumar
contractor balustrades: Octatube, Delft
supplier trees: BSI Bomenservice, Schijndel
opening: December 2016
span: 310 meters
photography: Jannes Linders cepezed | Léon van Woerkom Willem Heesen
website: www.cepezed.nl
photos © Léon van Woerkom
Moreelsebrug Utrecht building images / information received 240217
Location: Moreelsebrug, Utrecht, The Netherlands, western Europe
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Comments / photos for the Moreelsebrug Utrecht building design by Cepezed Architects page welcome.