Winner of the student competition for the Südpark pedestrian and cycle bridge chosen

On Monday, March 3, 2025, a jury of experts made up of representatives from TU Dresden, the City of Dresden and BUGA Dresden 2033 gGmbH selected the winners of the student competition to design a pedestrian and cycle path bridge at Südpark Dresden. Südpark is a planned park in the Dresden districts of Plauen and Räcknitz that has been under construction since 2019. As an essential part of the Federal Garden Show 2033 (BUGA), the bridge is intended to create a connection between the Südpark via Bergstraße as part of the B170 to the Bismarck Column and the Volkspark Räcknitz. The expert jury has now awarded prizes to the three best designs from 13 entries submitted by a total of 44 TU Dresden students.

Marcel Timmroth, Managing Director of BUGA Dresden 2033 gGmbH: "I am delighted that the students were able to provide a variety of solutions and decisive impulses for the further planning of the bridge structure. The task was not an easy one, as the bridge acts as a central connecting element within the BUGA, which has to take into account the topographical and design challenges at the site in particular."

"The high quality of the work submitted is impressive and we are delighted that the competition ended with such a great result. For us, it is always important to be able to offer students opportunities in teaching to work together to create an inspiring impact for society and to be creatively active across faculties. " says Steffen Marx, Chair of Concrete Structures and Director of the Institute of Concrete Structures at TUD.

About the competition

The competition was organized by the Institute of Concrete Structures and the Collaborative Research Center/Transregio 280 under the patronage of the City of Dresden for the winter semester 2024/2025. The aim was to develop innovative designs for a sustainable and material-efficient bridge over the Bergstraße. As an essential part of the Federal Garden Show 2033 (BUGA), the bridge is intended to create a connection between Südpark and Bismarcksäule to Volkspark Räcknitz, as the areas are currently separated by Bergstraße. As part of the B 170, Bergstraße has served as a feeder road to the A17 highway since 2005 and is an important traffic artery in the city of Dresden. Due to its immediate proximity to the highway, the bridge has the potential to become an architecturally valuable gateway to Dresden for visitors to BUGA 2033 and beyond. The bridge must span a clear width of around 40 meters. The hillside location allows a wide view of Dresden's city center and towards Saxon Switzerland.

High demands on the bridge designs

The participants were expected to develop solutions that were both interesting in terms of design and structurally sound and efficient in terms of materials. The main criteria were structural efficiency, urban integration, sustainability in use and the design quality of the bridge as a "gateway to Dresden". The choice of materials and construction method were open, as long as they met the requirements for resource-efficient construction.

The winning designs

After intensive deliberation, the jury awarded prizes to the following three designs:

1st place: Hans Bolz, Marc Lilienthal, Ferdinand Schulte zu Sodingen, Linus Witzel | Grünes Band

© Hans Bolz, Marc Lilienthal, Ferdinand Schulte zu Sodingen, Linus Witzel

The winning design impresses with its outstanding material efficiency and innovative structural design. The design picks up on the BUGA concept and integrates harmoniously into the surroundings thanks to its intensive greening. A key feature of the design is its high level of adaptability: the structure's adaptability enables intensive greening during the garden show and sustainable management beyond. The bridge not only creates a seamless connection between the Volkspark Räcknitz and the planned exhibition area "Südpark", but is also a park. The design's closeness to nature is also reflected in the choice of materials. The main supporting structure consists of glulam beams and durable Corten steel. The supporting structure frames the Bergstrasse and acts as a gateway to Dresden. At the same time, it generates numerous views for future users of the bridge. The design convinced the jury: "The concept is bold, contemporary and contextualizes the BUGA's leitmotif: green for the city."

View poster: https: //datashare.tu-dresden.de/s/FccASXDFkW4smCQ

2nd place: Jhoel Ramiro Mercado Ramirez, Brian Onacha Ogada | Südpark GetAway Bridge

© Jhoel Ramiro, Mercado Ramirez, Ogada, Brian Onacha

The jury praised the design for its high level of transparency and slenderness. The responsible use of materials was particularly emphasized. The alternation of materials between the main and secondary spans creates a spatial separation of the structure, making it appear less imposing. In addition, the bridge arch forms a gateway to Dresden. The permeable railing supports user-friendliness and contributes to the open design of the bridge. Together with an external greening concept, there is an opportunity for even better integration into the overall BUGA concept.

View poster: https: //datashare.tu-dresden.de/s/NsFYYKDcFmBdR4B

3rd place: Erik Becher, Fabian Opitz, Lilli Schrapps, Leonie Toppel | Südparkbrücke

© Erik Becher, Fabian Opitz, Lilli Schrapps, Leonie Toppel

The third-placed design impresses with its restrained effect. The bridge leaves plenty of scope for independent development of the BUGA concept: "A structure that leaves room for the BUGA," commented one jury member. The structure demonstrates material and structural efficiency and impresses with an innovative material mix of carbon concrete and wood. The structure is unagitated and yet has a gateway effect, which was commented on by another jury member as follows: "Does it need this strong external effect?- The bridge has a soothing simplicity".

View poster: https: //datashare.tu-dresden.de/s/ne8KEcrK5KAYHo9

The jury was made up of experts from science and practice:

• Steffen Marx, TU Dresden, Faculty of Civil Engineering, Institute of Concrete Structures
• Yvonne Ciupack, TU Dresden, Faculty of Civil Engineering, Institute of Concrete Structures
• Matthias Beckh, TU Dresden, Faculty of Architecture and Landscape, Chair of Structural Design
• Juliane Naumann, Center for Building Culture Saxony
• Marcel Timmroth, BUGA Dresden 2033 gGmbH
• Dr. Sascha Döll, City of Dresden, Office for Urban Greenery and Waste Management

Future prospects

The winning projects and the corresponding students will be officially awarded on Thursday, March 20, 2025, as part of the 34th Dresden Bridge Construction Symposium in Dresden. In addition, the works will be presented in an exhibition at the ZfBK - Center for Building Culture Saxony in July 2025 and published on the websites and social media channels of the Institute of Concrete Structures and the City of Dresden.

The results of the competition provide valuable impetus for the further planning of the bridge in the course of BUGA 2033. "They show that innovative and sustainable engineering solutions play a decisive role in Dresden's urban development, especially in the context of the Federal Garden Show," concludes Marcel Timmroth, Managing Director of BUGA Dresden 2033 gGmbH.

In addition to cash prizes, the winners will be given the opportunity to take part in an international specialist conference to further develop their ideas in scientific discourse.

Further information and insights into the award-winning designs can be found on the website of the Institute of Concrete Structures at TU Dresden.

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© Jana Strauch, Stefan Gröschel

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