Passerelle Zwolle

Karres en Brands

Client: Municipality of Zwolle

The Passerelle is a green street, elevated above the train tracks, that acts as an equitable, sustainable and engaging public pedestrian connection between Zwolle’s historic city centre and its newly expanding southern districts. The 130m long, 10m wide passerelle, constructed from bio-based materials and the longest cross-laminated timber footbridge in Europe, is a visible expression of the City’s sustainable goals.

The structural girders are of laminated European Spruce from 800 pine trees that were all sourced from within 200km of the fabrication plant in southern Germany. This mass of timber represents around 1300 tonnes of bound carbon with the lift shafts, bridge handrails, amphitheatre steps, seating and furniture elements also all made with timber. Ensuring the construction emits 74% less carbon dioxide than a comparable steel bridge. The design focuses on the user experience at eye level, to not simply create a piece of transport infrastructure, but to provide city residents and travelers with an iconic experience and new urban greenspace. This preoccupation with the human scale had implications for all aspects of the design. From the choice of warm and tactile materials, the incorporation of a cascading water feature as play element and subtle directional indicator for the visually impaired and the rich vegetation palette that will change with the seasons and act as a biodiversity corridor. Very much transport infrastructure as public space with multiple seating opportunities along the passage and stepped amphitheatre and seating terraces at either end, connected by a meandering, organic bridge form. Tree planting and ornamental vegetation in the public spaces at either end of the bridge are carried up and onto the structure and act to separate the two pedestrian movement routes. A wide and direct route for those wishing to pass over the bridge quickly and a narrower route with seating and rest platforms for those wishing to linger. In the middle of the bridge is a circular water feature and bench from which a fountain springs to feed a constantly flowing channel of water that accompanies the user along the length of the bridge. This cascading, shallow stream is a consistent visual and audible presence on the bridge, it acts as a subtle water play element, feeds the irrigation reservoirs for the planting and tumbles down the middle of the southern staircase. The bridge matches the scale of adjoining streets so the walkway becomes a space in its own right, as well as being an important urban connection and means to access the adjacent public transport interchange. An elevated park space for people to linger and congregate, where the city can come together and experience elevated views over the historic city to the north, the new functions to the south and over the bustle of the rail and bus infrastructure that separate them.