Construction work begins on Simone-Veil Bridge in France,
OMA has begun construction work on the Simone-Veil Bridge,
in Bordeaux, France, announcing that the first element of the bridge’s metal frame has been installed,
on the right bank of the Garonne River.
The Simone-Veil Bridge will span both banks of the River Garonne, and will be 549 meters high,
creating a new public space in the city.
The Simone-Veil Bridge will connect the municipalities of Fleurac, Beagle and Bordeaux,
and is the first bridge project in OMA’s forerunners,
led by OMA partner Chris van Duijn and project architect Gilles Guyot.
It is also the sixth across the Garonne, and is seen as a continuous deck,
extending beyond the river banks to the landscaped public spaces on each side.
Design Features
The bridge is 44 meters wide, to accommodate individual lanes for private cars,
public transport and bicycles.
As well as foot traffic, as it includes the largest pedestrian walkway, and different sections of the bridge can be closed at any time.
It can also be converted into a temporary event space for many activities such as festivals and markets.
The bridge also features a large pedestrian area and a public area landscaped on the banks,
changing the traditional function of the bridge.
Pushed from the Right Bank, the structure will connect to the Left Bank in November 2022,
making the bridge a central civic space.
The bridge and public facilities are scheduled to be completed in phases, to be finally completed in 2024,
and construction work will follow the Park Road in Bègles and a sculpture garden in Floirac.
The interventions will be completed, respectively, on the right and left banks of the river.
OMA. Projects
Chris Van Doyen, Partner at OMA, leads OMA’s projects in Asia,
with the Taipei Center for the Performing Arts, UCCA Renovation in Beijing,
and District of Columbia in Shanghai, among the projects led by Chris Van Doyen.
While OMA is currently designing a linear and web-shaped bridge for the Jojutla Bridge in Mexico,
and another bridge named the 11th Street Bridge Park.
Designed by OMA, in collaboration with OLIN Philadelphia Landscape Architects,
and WRA Structural Engineers, it also received approval in Washington, DC in 2020.
OMA
An international practice working within the traditional confines of architecture and urbanism,
AMO, a research and design studio, applies architectural thinking to other fields.
