Continuity

On a horizontal plan, the footbridge is uniting the two main access to the central zone of the area development plan. It’s following a curve based on those two access.

On the vertical plan, the footbridge will provide a continuous plan to ease the access to everyone, be it jogger, children, disabled people or simply old people, young parents, etc.

Landmark should be seen from all points

Compared to a linear bridge, a curved deck is more visible from different point of views. It allows for instance the pedestrians to identify it from the beach. The perspectives of one’s journey on the footbridge are always evolving while moving forward on it.

The ETFE panels covering the three arches structure can show two different effects depending on the hour:

• By day, the white looking panels attract the eye while keeping a simple appearance;
• At night time, lightings fixed on the main structure behind the panels, irradiate from the space left between the panels.

Opening the view to the sea

The footbridge is a dynamic area where people walk, run, pose for the photo... What if it becomes more like a landmark people want to look at and look from? It then becomes a belvedere allowing people to have a better look at 灵山岛 (Ling Shan island), the beaches around and the QingDao bay.

Preserving the view from highway’s pollution

While opening the view to the see, we prevent people from seeing the road and other terrestrial matters, unless they really want to get a closer look through the opened structure on their back. All efforts are made to preserve the people from outside pollution (be it noise or views).

A footbridge is deeply related to elements: it’s anchored in earth, trying to look as aerial as possible and considering this footbridge’s proximity with the sea, we have a lot of possible interactions.

Earth

The footbridge is coming from the Earth, hence a continuity between the wooden deck and the footbridge’s floor. We’re using the same material as the deck to change horizontal to vertical. The footbridge is no more a distinct object, it’s seamlessly providing circulation and public spaces to people. It becomes a transition from one square to another.

Wind

Small lightweight moving panels are displayed all over the north elevation. Those leaves are moving with the wind, reflecting the flux coming and going from the sea, randomly animating the facade depending on the pressure they face.

Water

This interaction with the wind is linked to the water: each panel is like a blinking reflection on the surface of the water.

灵山岛 (Ling Shan island) is also known to be the third highest island in China. Its past volcanic activity is one of the reason of the island being covered by 70% of dense vegetation; popular beliefs describing it as flowing with the wind as the waves around do.

The vertical elevation of the footbridge then becomes a continuity of the horizontal surface of the water.

Human interaction

Given the orientation of the bridge and the leaves being half-transparent, even if looking from the banks located on the North-West, one should be able to see people evolving on the footbridge by their shadows.