London studio Knight Architects has completed the Küstrin-Kietz Rail Crossing bridge, which is framed by white steel arches and a tensile lattice of carbon-fibre reinforced plastic.
Crossing the River Oder over the demarcation line between Germany and Poland, the 130-metre bridge restores a historic rail link between the two countries that dates back to the early days of European railways.
The Küstrin-Kietz Rail Crossing bridges over the River Oder
Won via an international competition alongside civil engineers Schüßler-Plan and structural engineer Schlaich Bergermann Partner (SBP), the project is comprised of two bridge structures as well as the restoration of a stretch of railway track.
The main railway bridge replaces a derelict single-track truss with a larger, two-track bridge, while a smaller bridge to the west of the main crossing spans a flood relief canal. Knight Architects created a 130-metre-long bridge with a minimal design
Opting for a minimal design, Knight Architects envisioned the bridge as a unifying symbol for the two countries, with the apex of its arch sitting directly on the border line at the centre of the river.
"The design itself had to be respectful to both nations, precluding an asymmetrical cable-stayed design as we wanted to create something that represented equality on each side," Knight Architects director Bart Halaczek told Dezeen.
"As a result, we created a simple, clear, elegant and symmetrical design solution that also ser...