Design: Ing. Lucio Bonafede with Prof.Ing Enzo Siviero
Site supervision: Lucio Bonafede with Francesca Emma
Client: Municipality of Villa del Conte
Location: Villa del Conte (Padua - Italy)
Time of construction: 2001-4
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Going over a bridge over a river has always been an amazing moment of visual link and perception of the surrounding countryside: the environmental value of the site where the new bridge has been built over the Tergola Canal had a strong influence on the architectural constructive style of the bridge, which sought out a special shape that blends perfectly into the landscape and communicates with the place and witness of the past.
Given the small size of the bridge there were no real construction problems: the aim of the project was to redefine the space using a very simple but very elegant form and well defined structural knowledge. The solution used in the project therefore purposely avoided using standard construction styles. The guideline behind the shape of the bridge is the "water wheel and its movement" inspired by the watermill nearby, a lovely witness to architectural style which, until a few decades ago, was part of daily life in the fields and towns around the northern Padova plain.
The formal and structural design for the bridge relate to the mill, trying to characterise the idea of movement through a few formal solutions which use the movement of anyone crossing the bridge (by car, bike or on foot), and give this visual idea of the movement of the wheel. This aim was reached with the formal style of the project and also with the choice of materials: steel and glass.
For pedestrians, the visual perception is emphasised by a much better view of the river below, thanks to the transparent glass parapets, while those travelling in car the changing inclination in the parapet uprights which are seen by a fast moving car, gives the same effect of movement as the blades on the watermill.
The bridge shoulders have been emphasised to give an even greater perception of the construction by anyone travelling over by car and they also give greater protection.
Technical features
This class 1 bridge has a symmetrical span structure of approx. 19.00 meters, and is 13.30 meters wide.
The main structure is formed of 10 steel girders, windbraced by steel stiffening tubular transoms.
This solution can easily be seen in the reflection of the bottom of the bridge in the water, and reproposes a building style that is relatively simple in static terms, working on certain structural elements such as the windbracing, which are normally considered as secondary, while here they are "ennobled" by a simple but effective solution, with the use of tubular parts instead of the normal double-T sections. This solution also simplified some of the assembly phases, and eliminated certain dead areas where damp could form with all the obvious consequences.
The planking slab and "fin shoulders" are made from reinforced concrete that was cast on site.
The parapet is formed of steel uprights which are progressively inclined with respect to the surface of the bridge, and they hold the panes of stratified glass with a wooden handrail on top.
In parts of the parapets near to the banks, there is a steel grid and openings have been left purposely for the vegetation to be directly "in touch" with the bridge, to underline the "natural" inclusion of the construction in the surrounding landscape.
From: Acciaio Arte Architettura n.30 - jun 2007 Auge ed. Treviso
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Ing. L. Bonafede - Riviera A. Mussato, 33 - Tel. +39 049 8761777 - 35139 Padova Italy - info@studiobonafede.it - P.IVA 02269530289 - Quality Management System Iso En 9001