The Apate pedestrian bridge
Stockholm
Forma Architecture and Design / Magnus Stahl arkitektbyra /
Erik Andersson architects

A pedestrian bridge links industry and ecology

© Åke E:son Lindman

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Spanning the Sickla Canal, located in a new residential area in central Stockholm, the bridge connects two banks of distinctive character. On one side sits an old industrial dock, while a natural shoreline marks the other. This disparity inspired an asymmetrical bridge design whose structure reflects the tenuous link between the manmade and natural environment. The width of the walkway as well as the height of the beam increases towards the industrial bank. The cable support stemming from the concrete anchorage focuses the structural tension on the industrial side, while allowing the bridge to land gently on the shoreline.

The first stainless steel bridge in Sweden, the Apate bridge (named for the goddess of deceit) required a complicated construction process. It was prefabricated in three pieces and, after welding and sandblasting, transported to the site by a raft-mounted crane. The structure employs a welded hollow beam and nearly one-inch-thick plates covering the underside of the bridge. Poured silver sand asphalt paves the walkway. The bridge's core structure consists of a load-bearing stainless steel beam running through the center of the walkway and tension wires suspended from an anchorage located on the dock side.

The handrail features a built-in lighting system, illuminating the walkway and the tension wires and guiding pedestrians. The architects thoroughly detailed the underside of the bridge and installed an intricate lighting system to play off the water below. The highly polished tension wires reflect much of the projected light, giving the impression of light beams at night.

Formal name of Project:
The Apate pedestrian bridge

Location:
Stockholm

Measurements:
Length: 180.5 feet
Weight: 110 tons

Total construction cost:
$1.3 Million

Owner:
The City of Stockholm

Architect:
Forma Architecture and Design www.forma-ad.com
Magnus Stahl arkitektbyra ab
Erik Andersson architects www.erikandersson.com