footbridge over the rhone, pfyn forest, competition, 1st place

client :

canton of valais, roads and watercourse service

programme :

footbridge over the rhone

dates :

competition november 2006

under construction

civil engineer:

guscetti & tournier sa, carouge (ge)

collaboration :

françois meyer architecture, sion

the pfyn forest, crossed by winding paths that follow the contours, is an attractive place for walking and exploring. the footbridge over the rhone is treated as an extension of one of these paths, both in terms of its route and its cladding. in this natural protected area, the scale of intervention is deliberately modest, without apparent technical confrontation – with reduced spans (24.5 m) and a simple static system. the rhone is the dominant feature of this part of the forest and the footbridge is in harmony with the river, being as close as possible to the water. the safety barriers, made of corrugated sheets, are perforated with a pattern suggesting the gurgling of the river. they vary in height and density, depending on the desired level of protection and transparency.