The titanium bridge proposal is a reinvestigation of the structural typology of an arched suspension bridge. Instead of implementing a large primary arch from which to suspend the bridge deck, our team has employed a thickened hexagonal array to serve as a superstructure. Each unit of this cellular structure is fabricated by cutting unrolled geometries from titanium plate material, and bending it into its hexagonal form. Each unit is then bolted to the flush matching faces of adjacent units, providing an ease of construction and economy of material use.
We have not designed a bridge; we have developed a system of computational logic that can tailor a readily buildable solution to any number of formal or structural situations with the change of several input parameters. This is an adaptable system that simultaneously addresses multiple design criteria and restraints. The cellular arch is at once structure, enclosure, an aperture for framing views, and a recognizable symbol. Titanium is equally versatile as a material, making it an outstanding medium in which to realize this bridge. With
Its superior corrosion resistance, heat resistance, and structural efficiency, a cellular bridge constructed of titanium could demonstrate the potential for the implementation of this material in any built environment.
The curvature of the surface of the bridge was analyzed to identify zones of more extreme bending. Due to the reinforcing nature of more complexly curved surfaces, the density of cells in these areas was reduced. In contrast, increased densities of cells were mapped to areas of relative planarity to compensate for the lack of rigidity this geometry affords. The aggregated result is a non-regular gradated grid of cells.
Primary pedestrian space exists in the courtyard to the Northeast of Quaker Square Hotel. Commercial spaces and restaurants are entered from this north plaza. By directing the ramp along the edge of the railroad tracks and exiting in the plaza it reinforces the importance of the plaza, and avoids drop-off traffic at the hotel entrance. The ramp becomes an experiential path to the bridge as well as directs the eyes of the pedestrian up the heights of the silos, engaging the history of the site visually; something that would have been less obvious with an exit situated next to the complex. Separation prompts engagement
Status: Competition Entry