UN Studio has been selected to design a new bridge over River Danube in Budapest. The Dutch firm won an international competition for the bridge, conceived to reduce the traffic load on the existing bridge as well as to create a structure that would embody “a liveable, loveable, healthy image of 21st-century Budapest,” noted ArchDaily. UN Studio will collaborate with Buro Happold Engineering to design the 500-meter long “two-pylon stayed girder” bridge, which will accommodate road, tram, cycle, and pedestrian crossing. Balancing “graceful aesthetics with strong performance,” the bridge is designed to be the city’s gateway.Ben van Berkel, Founder of UN Studio, says: “It was essential that the bridge would be in harmony with Budapest — which owes much of its configuration to the surrounding landscape — and its future vision. It was also important that the bridge enables unobstructed views below and above the bridge deck. We wanted it to operate as a clear gateway to the city, like an inviting gesture of hands.”The structure will feature steel-crafted pylons in white sheen, “activated by the ever-changing hues and colors of the natural surroundings,” stated ArchDaily. A 220-meter main-span cable system will add “a new structural typology” to the Budapest landscape while offering panoramic views of the city.UN Studio’s proposal was chosen over the entries submitted by a consortium of Leonhardt, Andra und Partner,  Zaha Hadid Architects, Werner Consult, and Smoltzcyk & Partner, and the consortium of Lavigne & Cheron Architects, Bureau d’Etude Greisch, Kozlekedes Consulting Engineers, and Geovil. http://www.blouinartinfo.com/                       Founder: Louise Blouin   Read more