Liberty Bridge

Jorg Schlaich designed this graceful curving pedestrian bridge to reconnect this urban area, divided by a waterway and pedestrian park.  The bridge structure, with its towering masts complimented by the elegantly suspended walking deck, is interpreted as a symbol for the oppositional relationship between city and park.  The horizon of the walking path and built vertical structures erect above the horizon were used as guiding forces for the lighting design. 

Cool white custom LED luminaires are integrated to the handrails to illuminate the bridge deck and reinforce visual connection to the coolness of the night sky.  As pedestrians move across the bridge they are consumed by electric luminosity that merges with the natural nightscape.  This sensorial merger with nature is further reinforced by audible, haptic and ofactory experiences to wind, water, trees and wildlife.  The suggestive nature of this cool horizontal plane is contrasted by the warmly illuminated columnar masts that find kinship to the constructed sodium vapor city beyond. 

The lighting solution addresses functional requirements of pathway lighting and electrical distribution while minimizing the physical presence of hardware.  This is achieved by carefully coordinating the bridge’s structural design with electrical requirements so that the handrail could be used as an electrical raceway; eliminating extraneous hardware from the structural design and preserving aesthetic interests. Here idea and function merge through careful planning, enhancing the day and night formal identity of the bridge and pedestrian experience for the surrounding community

Owner: City of Greenville
Bridge Architect and Engineer: Rosales Gottemoeller & Associates
Bridge Engineer: Jorg Schlaich
Lighting Design: Derek Porter Studio
Photographer: Derek Porter

Details
Greenville, South Carolina
New Construction Pedestrian Bridge

Awards
IALD Award of Merit, IALD, 2007
Paul Waterbury International Award of Merit, IESNA, 2006

Publications
“Iluminando a Traves de la Experiencia Humana,” Luxes (Mexico)
“A Fine Connection,” Professional Lighting Design (Germany)