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Footbridge across the Bear Brook
Footbridge across the Bear Brook
Czechia
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Footbridge across the Bear Brook
Czechia
Firm
Type
STATUS
Built
YEAR
2019
SIZE
0 sqft - 1000 sqft
BUDGET
$0 - 10K
This simple yet striking wood-beam construction spans the gorge of ‘Bear Valley’ (Medvědí důl) in the Krkonoše Mountains at an elevation of 1020 m above sea level. The bridge over the ‘Bear Brook’ (Medvědí potok) is part of the hiking, cycling and cross-country trail directly linking the eastern and western sides of the highest mountain range in the Czech Republic.
In the design, attention was paid to the landscape context of the locality, the necessary wide span of the footbridge, the difficulties in reaching the site and the need to preserve the flow-height of the river bed with an eye to the ever-shifting boulders. Bearing these aspects in mind, the bridge was designed as a simple beam construction.
The side walls of the bridge are formed by two high retaining girders, which at the upper level are spanned by steel profiles. Individual sections of the retaining girders are from boards of larch wood. The use of this natural material for the entire bridge underlines the character of the location.
The stability of the bridge is supported by several steel elements and rods. Attached to the wooden beams is the wooden walking surface. Instead of a solid balustrade, a net is attached to the beams, ensuring safety from falls from the bridge along its entire length.
The footbridge is a central element of the Trans-Krkonoše hiking trail. Not only is it an important milestone between two mountain ridges, but also serves as a rescue point (no. TK 877), which can help hikers in times of emergency.
For hikers descending into the river valley along the winding path from the ‘Bear Chalet’ (Medvědí bouda), the footbridge forms a pleasant surprise. Despite its striking spatiality, it retains efficiency in its structural design.
Generally speaking, a bridge forms a connection between two points. Yet it need not only be a structure that spans a distance – it could equally be a construction that provides an experience while walking across it. And this is precisely what the bridge by the ‘Bear Chalet’ offers.
The bridge was planned and hand-built by students of the studio Kordovský – Vrbata at the Faculty of Architecture of the Czech Technical University in Prague, as part of a design-build project in collaboration with the Administration of the Krkonoše National Park.
Photo: Martin Čeněk.
In the design, attention was paid to the landscape context of the locality, the necessary wide span of the footbridge, the difficulties in reaching the site and the need to preserve the flow-height of the river bed with an eye to the ever-shifting boulders. Bearing these aspects in mind, the bridge was designed as a simple beam construction.
The side walls of the bridge are formed by two high retaining girders, which at the upper level are spanned by steel profiles. Individual sections of the retaining girders are from boards of larch wood. The use of this natural material for the entire bridge underlines the character of the location.
The stability of the bridge is supported by several steel elements and rods. Attached to the wooden beams is the wooden walking surface. Instead of a solid balustrade, a net is attached to the beams, ensuring safety from falls from the bridge along its entire length.
The footbridge is a central element of the Trans-Krkonoše hiking trail. Not only is it an important milestone between two mountain ridges, but also serves as a rescue point (no. TK 877), which can help hikers in times of emergency.
For hikers descending into the river valley along the winding path from the ‘Bear Chalet’ (Medvědí bouda), the footbridge forms a pleasant surprise. Despite its striking spatiality, it retains efficiency in its structural design.
Generally speaking, a bridge forms a connection between two points. Yet it need not only be a structure that spans a distance – it could equally be a construction that provides an experience while walking across it. And this is precisely what the bridge by the ‘Bear Chalet’ offers.
The bridge was planned and hand-built by students of the studio Kordovský – Vrbata at the Faculty of Architecture of the Czech Technical University in Prague, as part of a design-build project in collaboration with the Administration of the Krkonoše National Park.
Photo: Martin Čeněk.
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