Part of a series of posts by Neil Cownie on The Future of Swanbourne Village

While on the 2016 Dulux / Design Institute of Australia DIAlogue Scholarship tour we met with the Stockholm based architect Erik Andersson. We spent time in his office discussing his practice and projects before enjoying a beer together then onto dinner.

Andersson has won international design competitions for the design of several new bridges. Andersson has led design teams as an architect to deliver outstandingly simple solutions.

The Tulhus Bridge in Norway is one such multiple award-winning example. The design for the bridge came about following an invited architectural design competition.

The 72m long bridge serves pedestrians and cyclists and has an hour-glass shaped body tapering towards the centre. The core of the bridge is heated to keep it clear of snow, while the handrails conceal strip lighting.

The jury’s comments from the award-winning bridge as follows:

‘In one single graceful form, the Tullhus Bridge soars from the quayside in the north to the lush Stromsholmen in the south. Entirely in steel both in its artistic expression and its construction: designed with a secure hand that unites architecture and construction with conviction. It is a tour de force in the difficult art of austerity. Every measure, every angle, every meeting between two plates is extremely simplified, this highlighting the elegance of the design as a whole, which is impressive in a municipal construction project. The simplicity also hides the cleverness. The challenging thinness in the visible leap over 60 meters is made possible by the short side spans hidden inside the abutments, where the unusual air heating system also has been placed. The Tullhus Bridge seems so self-evident. It finds it’s place in its context humbly, while at the same time speaking in an original, contemporary language – without shouting!’

Images from Erik Andersson Architects website.

Go back to the The Future of Swanbourne Village

The Bridging Communities Series