industrial negrelli footbridge coils and stretches above zürich’s dense railway network

providing superordinate orientation within the urban fabric, it allows pedestrians a brief pause amidst the city’s bustle.

Skarka Studios edited by christina vergopoulou August 2, 2024 4 min

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Negrelli Footbridge by ARGE Negrelli and 10:8 Architekten GmbH

The Negrelli Footbridge in Zürich, designed by ARGE Negrelli and 10:8 Architekten GmbH, connects city districts 4 and 5 while offering unobstructed views of the dense railway network and the surrounding urban landscape. This industrial structure, despite its cold character, brings a sense of ‘industrial warmth’ to the area.

The footbridge serves as a crucial link between the developments at Zollstrasse and Europaallee, densifying Zürich’s city center along the railway tracks. Its design provides superordinate orientation within the urban fabric, allowing pedestrians to experience the crossing of the tracks as a brief pause amidst the city’s bustle.

industrial negrelli footbridge coils and stretches above zürich's dense railway network - 1 — all images by Skarka Studios

bridge’s exits stand as landmarks within Zürich’s urban fabric

ARGE Negrelli and the designers at 10:8 Architekten GmbH conceive the bridge’s exits as landmarks in the urban space. The lateral bridge brow seamlessly integrates into the spiral staircases’ curved cheek, stretching the fine bridge arch to city level and symbolically connecting both sides of the city. The gentle arch shape, culminating at the center, reinforces the footbridge’s presence amidst the flickering railway installations.

The sweeping curve geometry around the round lift tower liberates the bridge walkways from the cubic boundaries of adjacent buildings, maximizing open space on both sides. This design language, focused on movement, highlights the unique position of Max Vogt’s sculptural signal box building.

industrial negrelli footbridge coils and stretches above zürich's dense railway network - 2 — the Negrelli Footbridge in Zürich is designed by ARGE Negrelli and 10:8 Architekten GmbH

The parapet, providing continuous protection for pedestrians, features a dense metal mesh woven through supporting posts between upper and lower linear elements. This design gives the parapet a textile effect, while the fabric-like paneling of the lift towers transforms them into light, visible cylinders in the urban space.

industrial negrelli footbridge coils and stretches above zürich's dense railway network - 3 — connecting city districts 4 and 5, the footbridge offers unobstructed views of the railway network

industrial negrelli footbridge coils and stretches above zürich's dense railway network - 4 — despite its industrial character, the structure brings a sense of ‘industrial warmth’ to the area

industrial negrelli footbridge coils and stretches above zürich's dense railway network - 5 — serving as a crucial link, the footbridge connects the developments at Zollstrasse and Europaallee

industrial negrelli footbridge coils and stretches above zürich's dense railway network - 6 — the design densifies Zürich’s city center along the railway tracks

industrial negrelli footbridge coils and stretches above zürich's dense railway network - 7 — the bridge’s exits are conceived as landmarks in the urban space

industrial negrelli footbridge coils and stretches above zürich's dense railway network - 8 — the lateral bridge brow seamlessly integrates into the spiral staircases’ curved cheek

industrial negrelli footbridge coils and stretches above zürich's dense railway network - 9 — the footbridge design allows pedestrians a brief pause amidst the city’s bustle

zurich-negrelli-footbridge-arge-negrelli-10-8-architekten-gmbh-designboom-1800-2 — stretching the fine bridge arch to city level symbolically connects both sides of the city

industrial negrelli footbridge coils and stretches above zürich's dense railway network - 10 — the gentle arch shape, culminating at the center, reinforces the footbridge’s presence

industrial negrelli footbridge coils and stretches above zürich's dense railway network - 11 — the parapet features a dense metal mesh, providing continuous protection for pedestrians

zurich-negrelli-footbridge-arge-negrelli-10-8-architekten-gmbh-designboom-1800-3 — the design maximizes open space on both sides of the bridge

fabric-like paneling of the lift towers transforms them into light, visible cylinders in the urban space

project info:

name: Negrelli Footbridge
architects: ARGE Negrelli
lead collaborating architects: 10:8 Architekten GmbH

design team: Andrea Zupan-Dover, Robert Schmude, Clemens Berresheim, Laura Bagdonaite, Lisa Märkl, Georg Rinderknecht, Katrin Schubiger, Jürg Senn

location: Zürich, Switzerland

photography: Skarka Studios | @skarkastudios

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