The bridge over Varnan in Kristinehamn is a new connection in the city’s pedestrian and bicycle network, and a part of the overall design of the new city park at Svinvallen, designed by Karavan landscape architects.
The concept of the bridge is to make it “simple” in a positive sense, rather than letting the design dominate the landscape with spectacular gestures. The movement over the bridge is directed by inviting widenings at the entrance points, and by the outward angled sides at the midpoint of the bridge. An unexpected dynamic experience is created when the bridge span opens with views of the park, the water and the city.
The brownish color scheme in earth tones, make the bridge adapt to the surroundings. The contrast between the exterior and the inside of the bridge is emphasized by different shades of brown, and by a low intimate space created by light along the bridge deck. The bridge span the water in one section, and the architecture is an expression of the constructive system with sides of load bearing steel boxes, forming a flow of triangular volumes – an almost stealth like geometry. The railing emphasize the impression of triangular shapes as it appears to have a varying height that meets the sloping lines of the side beams.