Architects DISSING + WEITLING a/s have created the perfect combination of form and function in Bryggebro, a 190 meter long, 7 meter wide bicycle and pedestrian bridge that forms part of Copenhagen’s growing network of pedestrian and cycling paths. Inaugurated in September 2006, Bryggebroen is a swing bridge for the passage of large ships, and the first bridge built over the city’s harbor in 50 years.

Besides saving Copenhageners several minutes on their commutes, not to mention providing a safe and beautiful alternative to the noise and trafficked roads, visually Bryggebro connects two sides of Copenhagen - Islands Brygge with Havneholmen – while defining the space of the harbor.

Lighted ribbon
At night the bridge stands as a lighted ribbon over the water thanks to built-in Martin lighting fixtures designed by DISSING + WEITLING in collaboration with Martin Professional. The bridges central spine, which divides the cycling from the walking area, is illuminated by Martin Architectural RailLight fixtures incorporated into each of the bridge’s 1.2 meter high hand railings. As a built in feature of the handrail, the dimmable single T5 tube RailLight’s were chosen as opposed to light poles or posts in order to provide an unobtrusive, hidden illumination source.

Further to the white light illumination is a colored light scheme beneath the bridge from Martin Architectural Exterior 200 color changers mounted at the end of the bridge’s rotating span. Because the area is quite dark and there is no other lighting on the bridge, the result is a glowing spine powerfully illuminated in white hovering above color accents and reflective shades beneath. Supply of the RailLight fixtures was by Martin Scandinavia.

Functional, clean, aesthetic
Bryggebro is a simple and well thought out design created with bikes, pedestrians and even wheelchairs in mind. The point was to build a bridge that was visible and whose function was obvious. Jesper Henriksen of DISSING + WEITLING a/s comments, “We approach it from a functional and architectural point of view and try to be quite honest with the design. We’re not trying to make some bold statement that 25 years from now will look dated. It should be functional, clean, aesthetic. We give the bridge fluidity by using the handrail. There’s a lot to be gained by making the details look nice.

“When we think about architectural lighting we look at the structure of the bridge and figure out what we want to emphasize and what we want to hide. We also have to take into consideration where the bridge is located. With lighting we try to emphasize the structure of the bridge. For example, a bridge that has a ribbon structure underneath is enhanced at night by illuminating it and giving it a type of drama effect with hard shadows and the reflection of the light in the water. We try to highlight the bridge in its context so that when you go over it you will have the experience that you have moved through an area where someone has thought about the lighting.”