The Kruunuvuori Bridge creates a transport link between the Kruunuvuorenranta residential area on the waterfront, the island of Korkeasaari, Laajasalo, and central Helsinki. When completed, it will be one of the longest bridges in the world built solely for public transport, pedestrians and cyclists.
The planning of the Kruunuvuori Bridge was launched in 2012 with an international design competition, the aim of which was to design a transport link from Nihti to Kruunuvuorenranta, via the island of Korkeasaari. The focus was on the design of the Kruunuvuori Bridge, which forms a crossing point between Palosaari and Kruunuvuori. Out of 52 entries, 10 proposals were accepted, including that of our international design group Gemma Regalis was selected as the winner.
Focus on the User Experience
The design of the bridge took the user’s perspective very much into account, both in terms of visual appearance and user-friendliness. The aim was to make the bridge, which is over a kilometre long, light and airy, to minimize the disruptive effect on the landscape. The bridge horizontal curvature is based not only on structural reasons, but also on improving the user experience - by walking on a curved bridge, a person can better perceive the destination. The functionality and interior details of the bridge have been carefully considered to meet the needs of pedestrians, cyclists and public transport users.
The bridge is part of Helsinki’s Central Park, whose beaches are a protected area. In designing the bridge lighting, emphasis was placed on creating a subtle entity where the amount of extraneous light in the environment is as low as possible. The illuminated central pylon of the cable-stayed bridge forms a new landmark in the city. The pylon is 135-metre high and its facade lighting changes according to the time of day and the seasons. With the help of LED-coloured lights, it is possible to change the pylon’s colour, for example during the holidays.
