Santaka bridge

Status: competition, 1st prize
Date: 2017
Location: Kaunas, Lithuania
Program: Santaka bridge over Nemunas river in Kaunas
Length: 430 m
Team: Vytautas Biekša, Rokas Kilčiauskas, Marius Kanevičius, Aistė Galaunytė, Martyna Kildaitė, Eglė Matulaitytė, Justinas Malinauskas, Vilius Žeimys (visualization)

The main purpose of the bridge – to connect – the proposed Santaka bridge connects the physical space with a much wider context of Kaunas history and identity. The context of merging Nemunas and Neris rivers, the traditions of Kaunas cultural and technological heritage determine the architectural design of the bridge, it’s structure and movement scheme.

Inspired by the tradition of aerodynamic structures in Kaunas, the silver-colored bridge with asymmetrical double span symbolically extends the Nemunas and Neris rivers while the single support marks their merging waters. Functionally, the typical bridge section is transformed to enable a single pedestrian and bicycle promenade with an amphitheater opening towards the panorama of Santaka and the old Kaunas.