Oct 13, 2025
Winner of the student competition to design a "resource-efficient Elbe crossing using the example of the Carola Bridge Dresden" chosen
Winner of the student competition to design a "resource-efficient Elbe crossing using the example of the Carola Bridge Dresden" chosen
Under the patronage of the City of Dresden and in collaboration with the TUD Dresden University of Technology, a student competition was held to design a "resource-efficient Elbe crossing using the example of the Carola Bridge". The aim was to develop a design for a bridge that would close the gap that has existed at this central point in the city since September 11, 2024.
Die Jury vor dem Siegerentwurf v.l.: Professor Richard Stroetmann (TU Dresden), Bart Halaczek, Professorin Yvonne Ciupack (TU Darmstadt), Professor Steffen Marx (TU Dresden).
Particular attention was paid to the central location of the bridge and the diverse traffic flows above and below the Elbe. On Monday, October 6, 2025, an expert jury (consisting of representatives from TU Dresden, TU Darmstadt and industry) selected the winners from a total of twelve entries. Cost specifications were deliberately not set in the competition in order to give the participants the greatest possible creative freedom. The city council's decision to expand the bridge to four lanes was only made during the competition. The strict planning conditions for the actual reconstruction were also not known at the start of the student competition.
"As with the last competition, we have once again seen an impressively high quality of submissions," emphasized Steffen Marx, Director of the Institute of Concrete Structures at TU Dresden. "It is pleasing to see how students are developing their ideas for a sustainable Carola Bridge and pursuing creative and sustainable approaches."
This design is the most appealing: “The design translates Dresden's bridge tradition into the modern age.”
The first prize was awarded to a design that impresses with its outstanding urban planning and design quality. The bridge creates a high quality of stay for all user groups, guides pedestrians, cyclists and traffic safely across the Elbe and makes the structure itself a tangible experience. With the modern reinterpretation of the arched structure, the building blends harmoniously into the city skyline and the existing image of the Elbe bridges and combines innovation with respect for the building culture. The result is a design that has the potential to become a new landmark in the center of Dresden.
The jury praised the design that came in second place: “The bridge impresses with its simplicity and clarity, while at the same time offering a surprisingly high quality of stay.”
The supporting structure of the third place creates a “coherent experience area between Brühl's terraces and the Neustadt banks of the Elbe.”
The winning designs can be viewed on the website of the Institute of Concrete Structures at TU Dresden.
Contact:
© Stefan Gröschel
Research Associate
NameMr Dipl.-Ing. Jakob Vogt
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Technische Universität Dresden - Institute of Concrete Structures
Technische Universität Dresden - Institute of Concrete Structures
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BEY Beyer-Bau, Floor -1, Room S 52 George-Bähr-Str. 1
01069 Dresden
© Jana Strauch, Stefan Gröschel
Public relations
NameMr Stefan Gröschel
Send encrypted email via the SecureMail portal (for TUD external users only).
Technische Universität Dresden - Institute of Concrete Structures
Technische Universität Dresden - Institute of Concrete Structures
Visiting address:
BEY Beyer-Bau, Floor 0, Room E 35 George-Bähr-Str. 1
01069 Dresden