Zaha Hadid’s world first bridge design wins competition

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The winning design for the Danjiang Bridge in Taipei, Taiwan by Zaha Hadid Architects in collaboration with Leonhardt, Andrä & Partner and Sinotech Engineering Consultants. Image: Courtesy Zaha Hadid Architects

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The bridge will be the longest single-tower, asymmetric cable-stayed bridge in the world, and will be supported by a single 175 metre concrete structural mast. Image: Courtesy Zaha Hadid Architects

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One of the bridge's defining features is its asymmetry, with a single concrete structural mast sitting in the centre of the cable-stayed bridge. — One of the bridge’s defining features is its asymmetry, with a single concrete structural mast sitting in the centre of the cable-stayed bridge. Image: Courtesy Zaha Hadid Architects

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The design features slender structural elements in order to avoid impacting on the views of visitors to the river's banks and boats navigating their way along the waterway. — The design features slender structural elements in order to avoid impacting on the views of visitors to the river’s banks and boats navigating their way along the waterway. Image: Courtesy Zaha Hadid Architects

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The river's ecosystem is protected by environmental programs, which meant that the design needed to avoid the use of structural elements in the riverbed. — The river’s ecosystem is protected by environmental programs, which meant that the design needed to avoid the use of structural elements in the riverbed. Image: Courtesy Zaha Hadid Architects

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The design features a 920 metre steel-based road, rail and pedestrian deck supported by a single 175 metre concrete structural mast. Image: Courtesy Zaha Hadid Architects

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The construction of the bridge will facilitate the expansion of the city's light rail public transport system, and will connect communities that lie over the bridge. — The construction of the bridge will facilitate the expansion of the city’s light rail public transport system, and will connect communities that lie over the bridge. Image: Courtesy Zaha Hadid Architects

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Zaha Hadid Architects have won an international competition to design the Danjiang Bridge in Taipei, Taiwan in collaboration with Leonhardt, Andrä & Partner and Sinotech Engineering Consultants.

When completed, the bridge will be the longest single-tower, asymmetric cable-stayed bridge in the world with a 920 metre steel-based road, rail and pedestrian deck supported by a single 175 metre concrete structural mast. The western span of the bridge will be 450 metres wide and the eastern span 175 metres, and it will sit at the mouth of the Tamsui River that runs through the city of Tapei.

The design features slender structural elements in order to avoid impacting on the views of visitors to the river’s banks and the boats navigating their way along the waterway. The river’s ecosystem is protected by environmental programs, which meant that the design needed to avoid the use of structural elements in the riverbed.

The bridge was commissioned by the Directorate General of Highways, and has partly been designed to ease congestion on the Guandu Bridge that is situated further upriver. The construction of the bridge will also facilitate the expansion of the city’s light rail public transport system, and will connect communities that lie over the bridge. The city of Tapei has a population of around 2.7 million people.

Five other consortia placed in the competition, with CECI and Nippon Engineering Consultants coming second; Aecom Asia and Resources Engineering Services third; MAA Group and Cowi placed fourth and both Oriental Consultants with Pacific Engineers & Constructors and Pyunghwa Engineering Consultants, and Pacific Consultants with Taiwan Engineering Consultants and Yuang Engineering Consultants placing joint fifth.

The internationally recognized practice Zaha Hadid Architects released a design for a second Beijing airport earlier this year, and is also behind the designs for a three tower development in Brisbane and an uncannily similar two tower project on the Gold Coast.