Rivers as Backyards
TL;DR
→ Bridges can be used as the foundations to buildings
→ Chance to reclaim unused space, especially in congested cities
→ Historically, bridges were used as marketplaces, housing, and thoroughfares
Waking up to the sound of water flowing. That’s the idyllic version of having a house over the Thames. The reality might have been incredibly foul-smelling and dirty. At least back in the 17c.
Yep, I’m talking about one of the most famous examples of a bridge being used as housing: the old London Bridge, yes the same one that fell down. There’s also the well known Ponte Vecchio in Florence. Some lesser-known examples include the Krämerbrücke in Erfurt, Germany. About 80 people currently call it home. I bet you’d want to be one of those 80!
Detail of Old London Bridge on the 1632 oil painting "View of London Bridge" by Claude de Jongh
Krämerbrücke | Via Simon Tunstall (CC-BY-3.0)
Back in the days, bridges in cities weren’t only used as a causeway for getting from one bank to the other. Nah, they were also built up into residences, businesses, and markets. A few of these types of merchant bridges remain in Europe, but they’re few to remain.
The theme of investigation for this post is the use of bridges as spaces for recreation, living, and working. Reinventing them from simple transport corridor to prime real estate with epic views. As cities are growing larger and larger, it makes sense to better use the available space. Thankfully it seems as though I’m not the only one to think that bridges as roadways are a lame use of urban space. A few urbanists and architects are proposing modern equivalents of the London Bridge and Ponte Vecchio.
Back in 1979, architect Steven Holl proposed a new typology for the built environment: an urban bridge housing concept that could be integrated above the roadways of cities. You can read up on his proposal here.
Bridge of Houses by Steven Holl, 1979
Here’s one for Paris: shared in 2015, the P9 Project by French architect Stéphane Malka proposes developing a liveable addition to the Pont Neuf in Paris. Imagine the views you’d be able to get from such a real estate! Sadly it was only a proposal.
Similarly, Farrow Partners designed a proposal for updating Toronto’s Bloor Viaduct with housing, retail, and a park. Named the Living Bridge, it looks to capitalize on under-utilized city space. Also living as a proposal, it’s at least gotten people talking, people getting excited! Already people are asking how much it would take to snag a penthouse atop the bridge. Answer: there are no plans to actually build this, so save your money for now.
Seeing these houses built on bridges it makes me think that our cities could gain entire new shopping/living streets perched above ravines, roadways, traintracks, and waterways. It also brings to mind images of a future city where houses are built above roadways, with autonomous vehicles zipping below them in tunnels (or in between the pillars). It’d be one way to densify a city, right? Probably not the cheapest though, but it’s interesting to think of a city built on archways to facilitate an urban mobility system constructed below!
I think it’s important to note that there are other initiatives that exist that look to save existing bridges from demolition and transform them into living corridors. The Lindigö Bridge Village Proposal by Urban Nouveau for Stockholm’s Gamla Lidingöbron bridge is one such example. The project is ongoing and looks to transform an under-utlized bridge into some stylish condominiums. It does look like the project it going ahead though (thank god for the forward thinking northern European countries), but there are only 50 proposed units to be built, so you’ll have to be quick if you want to grab one!
Additional noteworthy gems
The Old Mill in Vernon by Pablo Altes (CC-BY-SA 3.0) | Via Atlas Obscura
Old mill in Vernon, France
Perched over the remains of a 12th century bridge spanning the waters of the Seine, the old timbered house in Vernon, France is an old mill (it used to have a big wheel on its side). There used to be 4 or 5 of these mills across the river, but this is the only one that now remains.
Via Taxiarchos228
Château de Chenonceau, France
The classic fairytale château perched above a river. The current version of this Loire valley structure was originally built around 1520. The bit that extends across the river is actually a long gallery that was a later addition (1570s), and boy aren’t we all happy they added it. Anywho, seems like a total power move to be able to built right across a river like they did. Guessing they didn’t have to worry about the impact of said decision on their insurance policy.
Via Daderot
Fallingwater, USA
A more modern, yet just as classic, example is Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater house (built in 1935) located in Pennsylvania, USA. Although not a typical bridge per se, it’s a great example of a structure built over water. Would be a shame to omit it from this post!