Pedestrian Bridge Simone de Beauvoir, by Feichtinger Architectes

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Pedestrian Bridge Simone de Beauvoir, by Feichtinger Architectes

Pedestrian Bridge Simone de Beauvoir, by Feichtinger Architectes

Paris, July 2006

The pedestrian bridge with a length of 304 meters links the new districts of Paris - Bercy and Tolbiac - and at the same time the new national french library with the Park Tolbiac.

General view

General view
Copyright Feichtinger Architectes

Flying above the busy freeways which track the Seine, the footbridge touches down on the quayside promenades and links the public plaza of the National Library with the new Bercy Park beyond the river, thus ensuring the centrestage role of the Seine which it plays in the heart of Paris. Different to the average 100 meters in the city centre, the Seine has here a width of 150 meters. The two existing bridges in a distance of 700 meters delimit the "Bassin de Bercy".

Connection left bank

Connection left bank
Copyright Feichtinger Architectes

The new footbridge maintains the coherence of this unusually open Parisian space by reaching across the river in a single, continuous span, without intermediate supports.
The pedestrian bridge associates architecture and structure inseparably.

General view

General view
Copyright Feichtinger Architectes

Two arches constitute the geometry of the bridge, the tender form answers to the strictness of the architectural environment. These arches are structure and pathfare at the same time. They compose a widespanned rope and bow.

Promenade access, left bank

Promenade access, left bank
Copyright Feichtinger Architectes

Access stair, right bank

Access stair, right bank
Copyright Feichtinger Architectes

The criss-crossing of the pathways permits the free span of 194 meters. Several possibilities linked with different perspectives are offered to the pedestrian while crossing the bridge.

View Lentille

View Lentille
Copyright Feichtinger Architectes

Three pathes succeed along the arch and the bow. The middle alongside the bow reveals the view of Notre Dame and historic Paris. The rope guides near to the riverside. The overlay of the two force lines matches with the path-network.

Detail Obelisque

Detail Obelisque
Copyright Feichtinger Architectes

Rope and bow produce a lense in the central section of the bridge. It offers a unique space over the water, to be intended as tribune for events on the water.

The lower level of the lens forms a plaza 12 m wide and 65 m long which, enlivened by kiosks, cafes and other temporary installations, persuades the pedestrian to pause mid-route. The central deck, forming the upper part of the lens, protects these activities. The lens anchors the bridge visually in the landscape, giving rise to a unique public space.

Construction
The bridge is composed of three parts. It comprises a main central span across the Seine, coupled with two secondary spans across the urban freeways to either side, connected to the French National Library and the Tolbiac Park.

Two arches and two catenaries placed in parallel vertical planes at 5,20 m spacing form the principal span. Arch and catenary are tied together by a series of "obelisks" - vertical tapered struts fi xed to the arch - to form a semi-vierendeel beam.

These two structures collaborate and stabilize each other. They were chosen for their spatial potential and its static efficiency. They offer a maximum stability by minimum weight.
A Gerber support system - fixed at each extremity and articulated at the quarter points of the span - is employed to reduce the required inertia of the composite beam. The fixed end supports are assembled from a pair of vertical tension rods restrained by a pair of bent struts which distribute loads from the arch to its foundations.

Each catenary is fabricated from a solid-steel plate (100cmx10cm - lens, and 100cmx15cm - side parts), whilst the arches and supporting struts are all hollow sections built up from steel plates. The obelisks are made of 4 steel tubes. The decks are carried by a separate secondary structure.
The freeway bridges, relatively independent from the central span, are paired beams, simply-supported across a 35 m span, which use underslung bowstring ties to stiffen the compression deck.

Materials
The decks are clad in striated oak, with non slip inserts. The filling of the balustrades are made of stainless steel nets stretched vertically between the extruded aluminium handrail and a guiding rod at the bottom. The net is transparent but sufficient visible to convey a good sense of security.
The illumination is integrated in the handrails. It underlines the outstanding silhouette of the bridge.
By its innovative construction, the pedestrian bridge adopts the parisan bridge tradition, wich always used the recent technologies of their era.

Technical Data
Project: Pedestrian bridge Simone de Beauvoir
Address: Paris 12th and 13th arrondissements
Client:
Mairie de Paris, Direction de la Voirie et des Déplacements
40, rue du Louvre Paris 75001
SAGP Service de l’aménagement et grands projets - M.Miller
DONS Departement des ouvrages non sectorisés,
Gerald Lacrouts, Christian Leterme

Planning:
Feichtinger Architectes - contract leader
Architect Dipl.-Ing. Dietmar Feichtinger
F-11, rue des Vignoles, 75020 Paris
AT-Rienösslgasse 11, 1040 Vienna

Credits :
Competition team:
Barbara Feichtinger-Felber, Christian Pichler, Marta Mendonça, Bernardo Bader, Montse Ferres, Armelle Lavalou, Eddie Young (rendering), Woytek Sepiol, Caroline Djuric, Mario Lins
Modelbuilding: Christian Pichler, Bernardo Bader, Frank Hinterleithner
Photos: Jo Pesendorfer

Planning team:
José-Luis Fuentes, Marta Mendonça,Guy Deshayes, Christian Pichler, Ulrike Plos, Claire Bodenez, Simone Breitkopf

Construction leader: José-Luis Fuentes, Guy Deshayes
Consultant Engineers: RFR Engineers
Fondations: SEPIA
Studies and tests for aerodynamics: PSP RWTH Aix la Chapelle
Client for extern control, calculation: SETRA

Length: 304 m
Free span: 194 m
Width: 6 to 12 meters
Structure: Steel

Competition: 09/1998, winner
Start of planning: 06/1999
Start of construction: 06/2004
Completion: 07/2006
Building costs: 21 000 000 € incl. VAT

Firm list
Steel construction Main Contractor: EIFFEL Constructions Métalliques
Contractor: Joseph Paris SA
Special foundations: SOLETANCHE BACHY
Locksmith: SNST
Lighting: FORCLUM
Elevator technologie: ETNA FAPEL
Wood clad: CM LEDUC
Paintwork: BORIFER

SUPPLIER
Wire cable meshes: JAKOB
Aluminium shapes: BOHAL
Illumination technics: SAMMODE
Fluid viscous dampers: TAYLOR
Dynamic dampers: GERB