Caldogno Bridge

Project Manager: Lucio Bonafede
Junior Architect: Francesca Emma
Site supervision: Lucio Bonafede
Client: Municipality of Caldogno
Location: loc Cresole, Caldogno (Vicenza - Italy)
Time of construction: 2006-8

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The Bridge of Caldogno, in the province of Vicenza, is the last of a series of three bridges that, thanks to favourable circumstances, were designed and made in 5 years: the Bridge of Villa del Conte, (Acciaio Arte Architettura no. 30 - 2007) and the Bridge of Cittadella (Acciaio Arte Architettura no. 33 - 2008). These three works represent a kind of trilogy because they come from a common designing strategy that favours the relationship between the environment and the genius loci, but that developed three different concepts connected to beauty (the Bridge of Villa del Conte), strength (the bike and pedestrian Bridge of Caldogno) and constructive ability (Footbridge of Cittadella).

The bridges probably represent one of the best constructions that allow one to better analyze the fundamental relationship between architecture and structure. In this "trilogy", three different types of materials - steel, wood and glass - were used in turn.

The main target of the Bridge of Caldogno's design was to restore the bike-pedestrian connection way between the built-up area of Fornaci and the centre of Cresole, which was missing after a 1966 flood caused an old wooden bridge over the Bacchiglione River to collapse.

The client desired to recreate a wooden bridge like the old one, but he also wanted those new constructive solutions, such as the insertion of stainless steel, to be adopted.

The design should make the bridge the least invading without neglecting the finishing elements.

When, during the designing phase, different options were considered, the static scheme of a three-hinged arch was chosen as the best solution for the project, the adopted construction material, and the assembly needs.

From the formal point of view, the fundamental element of the project concerns the design of the front that aimed at underlining the structural functioning of the three-hinged arch, which can be guessed in the arrangement of the stainless steel uprights, in the central hinge, and in the design of the two heads.

The parapet is made of stainless steel uprights that support glass slabs that, from the front, cover the supporting uprights. This solution was adopted to protect the wooden components because laminar wood is a material that needs great care when it is used outdoors.

During the designing phase, they also considered the need to cover a few drains by integrating them into the structure. This is because the lower side reflects itself in water and, therefore, the view of the bridge from the lower side should have to be taken into account.

From: Acciaio Arte Architettura n.39 -sept 2009 Auge ed. Treviso

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