Design a bridge!

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

© Stefan Gröschel

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 has produced such a great result today. 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 A 17 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 today awarded prizes to the following three designs:

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

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

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

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 award-winning works and the corresponding students will be officially honored 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 the urban development of Dresden, 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 have the opportunity to take part in an international specialist conference to further develop their ideas in scientific discourse.

Insights into the designs

2025 Studentischer Wettbewerb Geh- und Radwegbrücke Südpark

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© Jana Strauch, Stefan Gröschel

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Task: Design of a resource-efficient pedestrian and cycle bridge at Südpark in Dresden

Invitation to tender

For the winter semester 2024/2025, the Institute of Concrete Structures and the Collaborative Research Center/Transregio 280, under the patronage of the City of Dresden, are launching a student competition to design a resource-efficient pedestrian and cycle bridge at Südpark in Dresden.

The task

With the signing of the implementation agreement in June 2024, the state capital of Dresden and the German Federal Garden Show Society sealed their joint plans for the Dresden Federal Garden Show 2033. This will be the first time since 1951, the year of the exhibition's birth, that a Federal Garden Show (BUGA) has been held in Saxony. The BUGA is intended to reflect Dresden's eventful urban history and transform urban areas that were created on the ruins of the Second World War into attractive green spaces and recreational areas. A total of four core areas have been selected as the main exhibition and event areas for the BUGA.

© Landeshauptstadt Dresden

Südpark is one of these areas and is located directly south of the main campus of TUD Dresden University of Technology. The hillside location offers a sweeping view of Dresden's city center and towards Saxon Switzerland. Historically, parts of the Südpark were used as a clay pit. After the Second World War, debris was removed from the area. Today, the western part of the Südpark is characterized by valuable succession areas, woodland and grove structures, while the southern and eastern parts are used for agriculture.

To the east of the Südpark is the area around the historic Bismarck Column, which is located on the former battlefield of 1813 and is part of the Bismarck Tower cultural monument. Built in 1906, the structure is 23 meters high and offers a magnificent panoramic view of the Dresden cityscape from its viewing platform. The Bismarck Column is embedded in green spaces with a memorial to Jean-Victor Moreau and the adjacent allotment gardens "Schöne Aussicht & Räcknitzhöhe" to the west. These areas, as well as the Volkspark Räcknitz to the north, will be included as exhibition areas for the BUGA.

© Landeshauptstadt Dresden (modified)

The Südpark and Bismarck Tower areas are currently separated by Bergstrasse. Bergstraße, part of the B 170, has served as a feeder road to the A 17 highway since 2005 and is an important traffic artery in the city of Dresden. As part of the BUGA 2033 in Dresden, a barrier-free pedestrian and cycle bridge is to be built over the Bergstraße, which will serve as a new attractive path link between the Südpark, the Bismark Column and the Volkspark Räcknitz, extending the Beutlerpark - Bürgerwiese - Kaitzbach - Elbe green corridor. Due to its close 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 brief for the competition can be downloaded here.

If you would like to take part in the competition, please send an e-mail with your name, the name of your university and the names of your team members to Cedric Eisermann (see also Contact).

Aim of the competition

The competition is intended to encourage students to explore innovative forms, design concepts and manufacturing methods in bridge construction. We are looking for constructively interesting, structurally sensible and material-efficient designs. The material and construction methods are open.

Procedure and conditions of participation

The competition is a student competition. Students of Architecture, Landscape Architecture, Civil Engineering, Urban Planning and related disciplines at universities in Europe are eligible to enter. The task can be completed by groups of up to four students or by individuals, e.g. as part of a bachelor's, project, master's or diploma thesis. Work can be submitted that has been developed as part of a degree course or on the student's own initiative.

An expert jury, consisting of experts from academia and practice as well as the patron of the City of Dresden, Stephan Kühn (Division of Urban Development, Construction, Transport and Real Estate), will select the most suitable and creative ideas from the submitted works.

Timetable

The student competition will be announced for the winter semester 2024/2025. The brief and other competition documents will be available for download on this website from 14.10.2024. The most important dates at a glance:

Further information on the consultation opportunity, site visit, jury meeting and award ceremony will be announced in good time before the respective event in the "News and Updates" section.

Prizes and recognition

The members of the winning team will travel to a specialist conference or symposium in Europe. The prize includes the participation fee and travel expenses of up to €3,000 for the entire team. For example, participation in the Footbridge Conference from September 3 to 5, 2025 in Chur or a similar event would be possible. The selection will be made in consultation with the winning team. All team members must take part in the same event. Second and third place winners will receive non-cash prizes.

News and updates

• The consultation opportunity on the task will take place online via Zoom on 04.11.2024 between 9 and 10 am. The agenda is as follows:

• The site visit will be postponed from 15.11.2024 to 19.11.2024 due to a clash of dates. The start is at 1 pm at the Bismarck Column.

Jury

Contact

If you have any questions about the competition, please contact

© Stefan Gröschel

Wissenschaftlicher Mitarbeiter

Name

Mr Dipl.-Ing. Cedric Eisermann

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Technische Universität Dresden - Institute of concrete structures

Technische Universität Dresden - Institute of concrete structures

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Visiting address:

BEY Beyer-Bau, Floor 0, Room E 11 George-Bähr-Str. 1

01069 Dresden

Show map of this location.

work Tel.

fax Fax

+49 351 463-37289