Jury nominates six bridges for the 2010 German Bridge Building Prize – structures in Stralsund, Wurzen, Mühlberg, Bremerhaven, Eichstätt and Sassnitz are among the country’s most beautiful new bridges
Six outstanding bridges are on the short-list for the 2010 German Bridge Building Prize (Deutscher Brückenbaupreis). This was announced today in Berlin by the awarding bodies – the Federal Chamber of Engineers (BIngK) and the Association of Consulting Engineers (VBI). Three architectural structures each from the categories of “Road and Rail Bridges” and “Foot and Bicycle Bridges” were chosen from a total of 27 entries by a jury of renowned bridge experts.
The nominated bridges in the “Road and Rail Bridges” category:
Elbebrücke Mühlberg (Brandenburg/Saxony)
“With the new 700 m long Elbebrücke near Mühlberg, a difficult challenge was expertly resolved. The architectural structure now known as the “Eye of Mühlberg” is a strong contender thanks to the successful blend of simple elegance with an innovative design solution. Thanks to the resulting span of 144 m over the riverbed, the new Elbe river crossing also optimally meets the ecological requirements.”
Muldebrücke near Wurzen (Saxony)
“The 500 m long Muldebrücke self-assuredly succeeds in crossing the low-lying Muldetal valley without dominating the landscape.” “This is made possible by the bridle-chord truss girder, which confidently „grows out“ from the construction, giving the architectural structure its distinctive shape. This is based on a further development of the bridle-chord steel truss girder concept, common in the 19th century, combined with modern construction techniques.”
Rügenbrücke (Strelasund crossing)
“The new Rügenbrücke is a harmoniously designed architectural structure which, despite its imposing size, projects a certain lightness. Stralsund residents took the new bridge to heart right from its opening to traffic, celebrating it as a new landmark of the city. In light of the Hanseatic city’s medieval panorama – protected by its status as a UNESCO World Heritage Site – the bridge’s design, suggestive of a tall sailing ship, is exceptionally successful.”
The nominees in the “Foot and Bicycle Bridges” category:
Altmühlbrücke in Eichstätt (Bavaria)
“The pedestrian and bicycle bridge crossing the Altmühl river in the Bavarian town of Eichstätt makes a convincing impression with its understated elegance. This graceful architectural structure therefore shows that even small construction projects can be implemented by means of innovative ideas and ground-breaking structural design.”
Hafenbrücke in Bremerhaven
“The new bridge not only connects the city of Bremerhaven with the attractions of the old harbour; at the same time, the transparent steel and glass tube reveals itself to be a walkable and pivoting sculpture. It is especially successful in harmoniously integrating mechanical and structural engineering. Hence, the pivoting motions to open the structure to allow ships to pass become an experience for both residents and visitors.”
Seebrücke Sassnitz (on Rügen island)
“The new Seebrücke Sassnitz – a “veranda to the sea” – presents a winning combination of form and function. Optimisation of the design created an efficient load-bearing capability, resulting in an extremely slender superstructure. Both sightseers and pedestrians delight in its bold, wide-ranging sweep, spanning a 22 m height difference across the new bridge.”
The awards honour both the architectural structures and their construction engineers, who bore responsibility and a substantial share of the credit for originating the bridges. However, the award recipients must be patient, as the announcement of the winners will be kept secret until the awards ceremony – suspense until the last moment.
The ceremonial awarding of the “German Bridge Building Prize for 2010” will take place on 15 March 2010 in Dresden, with more than 1,000 guests attending. Included among them will be the German Federal Minister for Transport, Construction and Urban Development Dr. Peter Ramsauer and the chairman of the Management Board of Deutsche Bahn AG, Dr. Rüdiger Grube. The Federal Ministry supports the prize within the framework of the Building Culture initiative, and continues as its patron. Once again, Deutsche Bahn AG is the main sponsor in 2010.
Bridges connect – and are an indispensable part of our architectural heritage. The six bridges nominated for the current German Bridge Building Prize evince top innovative achievements and aesthetic elegance in the best sense of the word. This year too, the German Bridge Building Prize proves that engineers make a significant contribution to building culture in Germany. The German Bridge Building Prize has been awarded every two years since 2006.
For more information, please contact the awarding bodies.
