CAR PARK HIDDEN INSIDE A GREEN-ROOFED BRIDGE

Part of the bridge is for cars and another part is topped with a green roof and serves as a major thoroughfare for hikers, bikers and tourists. The bridge meets the needs of the city for parking and transportation while providing a beautiful, sustainable and meaningful gathering space.

Originally, the idea was to excavate a side of the mountain, build the car park and then build a bridge. But this proposal would have greatly impacted the landscape, views and the town during construction. Angelo Salamone and Rossella Di Bari of AS-DOES (Designers Of EcoSystems) wanted to come up with a more holistic solution that would provide the necessary services and also improve the area.

Their solution utilises prefab construction that can be completely disassembled and recycled if need be to create a combo bridge and car park. The new structure would consist of a car bridge on top, with a multi story carpark built below, requiring little excavation to put it into place. Below the structure, the area would be landscaped and serve as a natural amphitheatre for concerts and gatherings. A green roof would cover the rest of the structure on the uphill portion and serve as a pedestrian connection across the canyon and also provide space for an information kiosk, bike sharing service and trails.

Views from the bridge and new pedestrian zones would be unprecedented and draw people to the area to enjoy the landscape.

Angelo Salamone and Rossella Di Bari‘s design received second place in an international design contest.