Railway Station Bridge

The railway station bridge provides the main access to the railway platforms and connects the old town to the new town. Users encounter each other going at different tempos. The layout responds to this with wider areas at meeting places and routes with good visibility. The bridge is experienced differently depending on one’s pace: offering directed views through the lamellae latticework to take in the town or the wavy ups-and-downs of the girders and struts when moving fast. The bridges have been designed as multi-span trough bridges with distinctive outer lamellae struts. The superstructure consists of two Z-shaped main girders connected by cross girders to form a trough cross-section. The main girders on the sides are made of Z-profiles whose web heights vary according to the load to be carried. The result is a curved Z-profile with a minimal profile height at the supports and a maximum profile height at the midspan. To stiffen the webs of the main girders, vertical stiffeners are arranged which extend into fins. By using corrosion-resistant materials, an economic design is achieved with low maintenance costs. The covered access to the platforms branching off from the bridge and the staircase tower replace the former station building and together with the bridge provide a symbol – visible from afar – of the renewal of the Opladen station.

Client:
Neue Bahnstadt Opladen GmbH

Architect:
Knight Architects, High Wycombe - UK