The Brocade Loom, Qinhai New River Bridge
©ATAH

Beautiful mountains and rivers, a rainbow lying on the waves

ATAH as Architects

From October 2022 to April 2023, Nanjing Municipal Bureau of Planning and Natural Resources, Yuhuatai District People's Government and Nanjing Yuhua New City Development Co. The design team led by ATAH was selected as one of the four finalists.

photo_credit ©ATAH
©ATAH
photo_credit ©ATAH
©ATAH

The project, located in the middle of Nanjing's Yuhuatai District, is an important link between the north and the south, and is also an important node in the 100-mile scenic belt of the Qinhuai New River, showcasing the results of the "Two Bridges" urban renewal area. The new bridge is an important part of the 100-mile scenic belt system, providing the public with a variety of viewing experiences and forming a beautiful landscape with the 18 existing bridges on the Qinhuai New River. The architect's original concept for the project was that it needed to carry the expectation of the future development of the area, and therefore needed to stand at a medium distance to imagine and feel the future infrastructure as a rhythm of the city's blood vessels. The design of the new bridge aims to integrate the history and culture of the site, while injecting new ideas to stimulate a unique scene and cultural gesture. With the intention of a cloud brocade loom as its form, the new bridge embodies a contemporary aesthetic that connects Nanjing's "mountain, water, city, and forest" to the lives of its citizens. The new bridge is designed to create a multi-level connection between the two sides of the river with the momentum of a rainbow lying on the waves: stitching together the urban fabric in a spatial and temporal dimension, while also closely synergizing the functions of the core area of Yuhua Digital City with the educational landscape area to the south.

photo_credit ©ATAH
©ATAH
photo_credit ©ATAH
©ATAH

The main bridge in this case is a center-bearing arch bridge, divided into two arches, with three rows of suspension cables hanging from the centerline and both sides of the bridge. The width of the lane is symmetrically distributed according to the center line, the width of the center seam is 5m, the two-way 4 lanes are 15m, and the non-motorized lanes on both sides are 5m. the pedestrian bridge is independently arranged on both sides of the bridge, the net width is 2m. the span of the bridge is arranged as a continuous system of 40m+130m+40m, the vertical bearing capacity is provided by the axial pressure of the arch ribs in collaboration with the main beam bending resistance, and the main body is made of steel structure. The main span arch rib thrust is shared by the side span inclined leg and thrust resistance foundation. The main girder adopts Q355 steel prefabricated separated double box and six chamber steel box girder. The pedestrian bridge adopts prefabricated channel-shaped steel box girder. The arch ribs with trapezoidal section profile are used to shape a good light and shadow effect.

photo_credit ©ATAH
©ATAH
photo_credit ©ATAH
©ATAH

To enrich people's feeling of the city, the light environment design uses intelligent controlled lighting system to present different festive atmosphere. Intelligent lighting is combined with water landscape to create continuous luminous forms and provide a visual demarcation between land and water. The interactive sensor LED light source can respond to pedestrian movement to present dynamic changes. The design incorporates geographical medium and cultural vein into the creation, presenting the advantages of landscape, city, forest and natural environment. The new bridge is built as a carrier for future activities, and the city's cultural soft power is enhanced with the help of self-media communication. In the physical space and virtual space together to build a cultural landscape where group memory and individual imagination coexist.

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