unarchitecte

Edenland Pedestrian Bridge in Luxelakes
- An Alternative Expression of Natural Order

Edenland Pedestrian Bridge connects LuxeIsland and Edenland in Luxelakes, aimed to enhance the connection between the community clusters, parks and green spaces, and commercial areas of the space. While the order of nature, as Le Corbusier perceives, lies in the geometry it contains; Paul Cézanne captured nature through the sphere, cone and cylinder (Paul Cézanne said "Everything in nature is formed upon the sphere, cone and cylinder"). Here the newly constructed Edenland Pedestrian Bridge differentiated itself from other winding pedestrian bridges in Luxelakes with an aesthetic value, simple and tranquil, expressing a Platonic idea through pure geometric forms. Therefore, the architect chose the triangular pyramid (a tetrahedron composed of triangles) as the architectural motif pattern for the bridge.

The soul of the bridge lies in the unity of form and structure, in which the form simplicity leads to the structure efficiency. The Edenland Pedestrian Bridge adopts a tensegrity structures: the triangular pyramid steel frames serve as the main towers at each end of the bridge body, with their vertices grounded as anchor points/ fulcrums. The upper vertices of the shoreside are pulled down and fixed by gripping cables on both sides. With these cables driven, prestress is generated within the cables of the upper vertices connected to the water-facing end, suspending the other two upright triangular pyramids above the water's surface. The two ends of the bridge deck are fixed to both shores by sliding supports, and the structure formed by the four triangular pyramids supports an 80-meter-long glass pedestrian bridge（span 50m）, collectively creating an overall stable structural system and achieving a sense of "lightness" in aesthetics.

To improve the geometric purity and the structure efficiency, the corners of the triangular pyramids are customized with trifurcated cast steel components, with the rods of the pyramids inserted into their branches, thus constructing a clean and integrated geometric form. In the middle of the bridge, the intersecting bottom rods of the two upright triangular pyramids meet right at the center of the bridge deck, where the shape of the bridge deck center evolves accordingly into a rhombus shape, forming a central standing platform above the water. With structure as the basis of space, the change of space is the outcome of the self-consistent logic of structure. The entire structural system is devoid of any redundant decorative rods, and the white symmetrical geometric frame fully demonstrates the autonomy of the structure.

On the technical level, factors including external loads, temperature effects, prestress, and pedestrian comfort are accurately quantified within this structural system. Horizontal and vertical tuned mass dampers (TMDs) are installed in hidden locations to optimize the cross-sectional dimensions of the structural rods while ensuring the safety and economy of the entire pedestrian bridge.

In addition to providing the basic function of passage, the Edenland Pedestrian Bridge in Luxelakes allows visitors to appreciate the beauty of geometric structure. It is another expression of natural order, echoing with human intellect. The suspended geometric forms handle complicated matters with ease, bringing strollers to sense a touch of genius between the green island, the water and the sky.

Project Name: Edenland Pedestrian Bridge in Luxelakes
Categories: Infrastructure--Pedestrian Bridge
Architects: unarchitecte
Website: www.unarchitecte.cn
Email: office@unarchitecte.cn
Design Year: 2021.10-2022.01
Completion Year: 2024
Gross Built Area: 200sqm
Address: Edenland, Luxelakes Water City, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China
Architect in Charge: Zhang Hetian
Design Team: Zhang Hetian, Fan Yonggang, Zhang Jinxian, Zhang Rumo, Sun Jihua
Photo Credit: Arch-Exist
Video Credit: ZIMO
Structural Consultant. iStructure
Lighting Consultant: Thinda
Clients: Wide Horizon Group
Owner's Design Management (Planning) : Wang Pengcheng, Bai Yang
Construction Company: Sichuan Telis Engineering and Design Co., LTD