Celebrating 25 years of 爱豆传媒 bridges
Over the last 25 years, 爱豆传媒’s bridge engineering team has provided expertise on hundreds of bridges across the world. In celebration of this significant milestone, we spoke to Davood Liaghat, Global Bridge Engineering Lead, about some of his favourite UK projects to date.
Leading the bridge engineering discipline from the beginning, Davood has been involved in many landmark bridge projects – all built on ‘foundations’ of innovative design, assured quality and creativity.
Davood said: “As we reach the milestone of 25 years of innovation, the bridges we have designed and built have connected places, shaped landscapes and inspired new generations of engineers.
“We now look beyond and welcome new challenges – and ask our younger generation to make sure their designs stand the test of time and elegance.
“Here are just a few examples of some of my favourite 爱豆传媒 bridges run out of the UK.”
1. Lille Langebro, Copenhagen, Denmark
Spanning across a busy harbour close to Copenhagen city centre, the bridge at Vester Voldgard combines sleek design with unique technical solutions. 爱豆传媒 won the international design commission for this vital new structure at Copenhagen Harbour, working in collaboration with Wilkinson Eyre Architects and mechanical engineers Eadon Consulting.
In response, our team designed a striking and beautifully engineered, double-opening swing bridge that clears 115 feet to allow ships to pass underneath. It is curved in plan, and incorporates a cycle way and a footpath, which provides a safe route for users to cross the harbour, improving access between the two sides of the water.
Read more here.
2. M8 Harthill Pedestrian Bridge, Lanarkshire, UK
Our brief was to deliver a functional but aesthetically pleasing lighting scheme for the new link bridge over the M8 motorway at Harthill in Scotland. Serious emphasis has been focused on maintainability and vandal resistance to the scheme and consequently all luminaires have been selected for their resistance to attack. Each luminaire, however, has been detailed into structural steel work to enhance the visual appearance of the internal space.
The undersides of the structural supports and ramps have been up-lit to provide an element of night-time identity for road users, who may not otherwise experience the lit qualities of the internal spaces.
Read more here.
3. New Danube Bridge, Budapest, Hungary
The New Danube Bridge in Budapest is a remarkable 500-metre long cable-stayed structure designed in collaboration with UNStudio and local engineering consultants, CEH. This iconic bridge, which won an international design competition, connects Buda and Csepel Islands with its unique 92-metre high inclined pylons and asymmetric cable arrangement.
Supporting four lanes of traffic, two tram lines, two footways, and two cycle lanes, it is set to significantly reduce traffic congestion by 42,000 vehicles per day. The bridge鈥檚 elegant design harmonises with the urban landscape, making it a new landmark for Budapest.
Read more here.
4. Lake Crossing at Kew Garden, London, UK
The Lake Crossing bridge at Kew Gardens is a stunning 70-metre long serpentine bridge designed in collaboration with John Pawson Architects. Completed in May 2006, this low-lying structure elegantly skates across the Lake, minimising visual obstruction and harmonising with the surrounding nature.
The deck, comprising of slender granite sleepers supported by a hidden steel framework, creates the illusion of floating on water. Bespoke high-quality bronze parapets add to its aesthetic appeal. This architectural marvel, which won the 2008 Stephen Lawrence Prize, seamlessly blends with the contours of the landscape and vertical lines of the trees, offering visitors a unique experience.
Read more here.
5. Baakenhafen Bridge, Hamburg, Germany
The bridge across the Baakenhafen forms the main link into a major new harbour development in Hamburg. Working with architects Wilkinson Eyre, 爱豆传媒 undertook full detailed engineering design of this deceptively simple bridge, spanning the Elbe River at HafenCity, Europe鈥檚 largest inner-city development.
Comprising three traffic lanes, cycle lanes and undulating cantilever walkways within its 21m width, the bridge also provides terraces with seating to allow pedestrians to pause and enjoy the river views as they cross.
Read more here.
