Transparent and slender
In a competition to design a connecting bridge between the Städtisches Klinikum in Karlsruhe and the Helios Clinic for Heart Surgery, schneider+schumacher won 3rd prize. The idea was to design a totally pared-down minimal structure with a high degree of transparency, using steel and glass as the principal materials. A low-maintenance rubber floor enhances the perception of the bridge internally. LED lighting integrated in the handrails provides the main source of illumination, augmented by a light-effect strip over the entire length. For enhanced privacy there is also an option to employ printed glass as a screen. Since the bridge is designed as an integral structure, it does away with the need for maintenance-intensive building components such as support bearings and building joints.
The bridge spans a four-lane route, which includes a set of tracks in the centre. To the east the bridge docks onto the existing building at 2nd floor level, on axis with the main entrance below. To the west, the bridge will be able to accommodate any permutation of the future helicopter-landing pad and, if necessary, could be extended as far as the main clinic building.
Designed with Schüßler-Plan Ingenieurgesellschaft