Wave Bridge connects some of Indianapolis’s historically disenfranchised neighborhoods with a burgeoning innovation district that includes the city’s research and medical corridor, downtown businesses and institutions, and to a wider trail and greenway network, including the Indianapolis Cultural Trail. By linking the 16 Tech Innovation District directly with the hospitals on 10th Street along with the IU School of Medicine and the campuses of IU Indianapolis and Purdue in Indianapolis, the 16 Tech bridge strengthens opportunities for collaboration, entrepreneurship and community.
In the months-long community engagement process that led to the design, four key aspects emerged: history and heritage, safety and accessibility, trails and connections, and programming and events.
Spanning 342 feet over Fall Creek, the result is a project that redefines the traditional role of a road bridge, by merging structural innovation with community-focused design. The team, which included PAU, engineers Schlaich Bergermann Partner (sbp), Moniteurs Communication Design, Martha Schwartz Partners (MSP), among others, was tasked with designing a signature work of public infrastructure that would serve as an example of innovation and collaboration.
The design team collaborated at length with local authorities to ensure that more space is dedicated to pedestrians and cyclists rather than vehicles, including generously protected pathways that keep them separated from vehicular traffic and that connect to the city’s wider trail and greenway network, including direct connections to the Indianapolis Cultural Trail: A Legacy of Gene & Marilyn Glick, the Urban Wilderness Trail and White River Trail. With more than half the square footage devoted to non-vehicular use, the bridge’s design encourages pedestrians to pause and enjoy the views along the span of the bridge and includes gathering space, creating opportunities for public programming and events. This area for reflection and repose is particularly important for the community, particularly those working in and visiting nearby hospitals.
The design is inspired by its verdant natural surroundings, in particular the spectacular urban setting of a wooded forest that is home to bald eagles; the fan structure of the steel-plated “cable-stay” design emulates the branches of the surrounding trees. Seating is made from trees harvested from the site and designed by 16 Tech’s Machyne Makerspace. The bridge also incorporates a dynamic lighting strategy, allowing for color-changing displays that can respond to cultural and community events, reinforcing its identity as a civic landmark for Indianapolis.
While bridges are often viewed as mere transitional spaces, Wave Bridge challenges this notion by becoming a destination in itself—an inviting public space for gathering, interaction, and connection.
