The 6 nominations for the German Bridge Construction Prize for 2008 have been decided!
The German Bridge Construction Prize (Deutscher Brückenbaupreis), which already caused quite a stir in the trade press in 2006, was conceived to promote the architectural and cultural dialogue between the general public and all construction engineers involved in bridge building. This competition has in the meantime become the most prestigious engineering prize awarded in the Federal Republic of Germany.
The competition is held by the Federal Chamber of Engineers (Bundesingenieurkammer; BIngK) and the Association of Consulting Engineers (Verband Beratender Ingenieure; VBI) and is under the patronage of the German Federal Ministry for Transport, Construction and Urban Development.
During a two-day session, the nine-member jury of the German Bridge Construction Prize had to choose from 42 submissions before deciding on the six nominees. But even now it remains exciting: Only in March 2008 will the winners of the two categories “Foot and Bicycle Bridges” and “Road and Rail Bridges” be publicly announced.
Three foot and bicycle bridges, two road bridges and a railway bridge are being scrutinised by the jury this year. With this selection, the jurors have shown that German civil engineering is also a clearly visible barometer of innovative artistic and social developments.
Nominated in the category of “Road and Rail Bridges” were:
Saaletalbrücke, as part of the BAB 4 (German federal motorway 4)
“The bridge convincingly puts the arch motif into effect with pre-stressed concrete as a modern material, without being an uninspired imitation of old bridges.”
The Humboldthafenbrücke at the main railway station (Hauptbahnhof) in Berlin
“The right architectural structure at the right place! It is an innovative milestone in modern railway bridge construction.”
Lautrupsbachtalbrücke in Flensburg
“An architectural structure that appears as if it were cast as a single piece; the bridge and noise insulation merge into a singular whole.”
Nominated in the category of “Foot and Bicycle Bridges” were:
Border bridge crossing the Inn river at Wernstein-Neuburg
“The appeal of the German/Austrian bridge across the border lies in its elegant and daring design, perfectly in keeping with the surroundings.”
“Dragon’s Tail Bridge” (Drachenschwanzbrücke) spans the Gessental in the Neue Landschaft Ronneburg park.
“It is one of the longest and most innovative wooden bridges. Its serpentine nature fulfils the expectations of following a natural course, and shows how technical challenges can also be resolved poetically.”
“Three Nations Bridge” (Dreiländerbrücke) in Weil am Rhein (Germany)/Huningue (France)
“With a record span of 230 metres, the asymmetry, and especially the shallow arch rise of this bridge, gives its an extraordinary elegance.”
The winners of the 2008 German Bridge Construction Prize will be honoured in a ceremony on 10 March 2008 in Dresden. In addition to dignitaries such as Federal Minister for Construction and Housing, Wolfgang Tiefensee, and the Deutsche Bahn CEO, Hartmut Mehdorn, more than 1,300 guests from the political, business, and media sectors are expected at the Technical University of Dresden.
Bridges connect – and are an indispensable part of our architectural heritage. The six bridges nominated for the current German Bridge Construction Prize exhibit superb innovation and aesthetic elegance in the truest sense. Once again this year, the German Bridge Construction Prize proves that engineers make a significant contribution to Germany’s architectural heritage.
The German Bridge Construction Prize is supported by the German Federal Ministry for Transport, Construction and Urban Development within the framework of the Building Culture initiative. Sponsors include Deutsche Bahn AG (German National Railway company), the German Concrete and Construction Technology Association, the Confederation of the German Construction Industry, the Concrete Information Centre, the Wood Information Centre, and also UNITA.