The concept of establishing a bridge link between the city of Sölvesborg and the Listerlandet peninsula was raised in 1947 by Alfred Anderfalk, politician and bookseller. It would, however, take more than 70 years to complete the project. The stately bridge, which at 756 meters is Europe’s longest footbridge, was unveiled in April of 2013. In this newsletter we will take a stroll across the bridge and watch a video about the bridge and its lighting. If you would like to see all the details, click on the pictures to view them in a larger size. Enjoy!
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Read on the web - recommended - click here
 
 
NEWSLETTER 23



Sölvesborg boast Europe’s longest foot and bicycle bridge

The concept of establishing a bridge link between the city of Sölvesborg and the Listerlandet peninsula was raised in 1947 by Alfred Anderfalk, politician and bookseller.
It would, however, take more than 70 years to complete the project. The stately bridge, which at 756 meters is Europe’s longest footbridge, was unveiled in April of 2013.

In this newsletter we will take a stroll across the bridge and watch a video about the bridge and its lighting.

If you would like to see all the details, click on the pictures to view them in a larger size.

Enjoy!


With Sölvesborgsbron a new neighborhood is born

At the outlet of Hanö Bay, the city center of Sölvesborg connects through the islands of Kaninholmen and Lindholmen with the new city district of Ljungaviken on Listerlandet.

An important prerequisite for the district, and to make the bridge a reality, was the purchase of the land, one of the largest deals in modern times, which was carried out in Sölvesborg. The municipality bought 26 hectares of land located in a marine environment in Ljungaviken.

Building a bridge would make the new residential area more attractive as it would make it possible to bicycle into the city center in just a few minutes and reach the city’s other transportation options. Even the previously inaccessible island of Kaninholmen has gained new life and is today a popular leisure destination.


PR value of €2 million

Initial estimate for bridge construction was budgeted at €1 million, but the closing figure was just over €5 million. On the plus side, no other construction project in modern times has played such an important role for Sölvesborg. Media attention alone is estimated to be worth €2 million, according to Sölvesborg’s municipal building manager, Torwald Hasselbring.
 
In March 2016 PostNord released a booklet of postage stamps featuring five Swedish bridges selected because they “represent various eras, building techniques and architectural design”. One of them was the bridge in Sölvesborg. PostNord has sold hundreds of thousands of these stamps, of which two thousand in Sölvesborg alone.

The bridge was recognized in 2016 as one of the world’s 11 most spectacular bridges, according to CNN. See list here.

 


Stainless steel for the environment

During the design and construction process, great consideration was given to the environment in order to create long-term sustainability. Most of the bridge is built with fully recyclable Duplex steel (LDX210). The railing is constructed of stainless acid-proof steel. The choice of materials contributes to the fact that the bridge is almost maintenance free. It is estimated that it will need to be re-painted every 15 years, and each re-painting will save 300.000 -500.000 €.

 


Link to Sölvesborg led to the winning proposal

Eight proposals were submitted for the bridge construction project. The motivation for the winning bid was based on that:

The bridge arches link to Gunnar Asplund’s courthouse (above left) and to the railway
   station.(above right) Both buildings, with their arch-shaped entrances, have great
   cultural & historical value.


The placement of the arches closest to the center provides a powerful springboard from
   the city
across the water towards Listerlandet.

The three arches closest to the city have a dominant style, but that the scale of the
   bridge then transforms into a more quietly expressed style connecting to the natural
   landscape of Listerlandet.

The curved design of the bridge railing reflects a boat with wind-filled sails to associate
   with Sölvesborg as a seaside municipality with strong ambitions.


The lighting is adapted to bird life

The natural area surrounding the bridge features a substantial bird life population. The bridge’s lighting has been designed to take account of this and is inspired by the migration patterns of the birds. Therefore, the illuminated arches change character both during the day and throughout the year. In addition, there are a number of different optional lighting scenarios that connect to events in Sölvesborg.

 


A film about clever lighting

Bridge lighting on the walkway is recessed in the railing on one side. It’s from lighting company Fox Belysning, which has delivered HLS LED pucks for the smooth handrail lighting. Here you can see my film about the bridge and the lighting.

Click on the picture to see the film.

To Fox Belysning.
Bridge design and construction - Stål & Rörmontage i Sölvesborg

Light design - Ljusaritektur i Stockholm
Lasse Olsson Photo photographs architecture, interiors, and lighting. My newsletter is published 6-8 times a year. It presents photographed projects and reports from furniture fairs in Stockholm and Milan.

You can read my previous newsletter om my website. Click Here!