"High-Speed Car Ramp" - the outside-the-Box Cycling Bridge for Lisbon

Within its 2009 edition and the theme “It’s About Time”, EXD and Portuguese Galp Energia Foundation invited architects, engineers and all respective firms to design a new infrastructure for Portugal’s capital Lisbon. The open international competition asked for ideas for a new cycling bridge in Lisbon and drew an impressive 62 submissions from 14 countries including Portugal, Brazil, India, the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Belgium, the United States, Tunisia, China, Spain, Jordan, Israel and Bangladesh.

The winners of the competition were announced last night at experimentadesign lisboa:

1st Prize: Telmo Cruz + Maximina Almeida (Portugal)

2nd Prize: Moxon Architects Limited (Great Britain)

3rd Prize: Impromptu Arquitectos + Selahattin Tuysuz Architecture (Portugal)

Honorable Mention: Studio Kawamuka Ganjavian (Spain)

Honorable Mention: Atelier do Cardoso (Spain)

Special Mention: Tiago Barros + Jorge Pereira (Portugal)

The winning work and jury shortlist is currently on display at the Lounging Space during EXD’09, between October 4 and November 8, 2009.

One project stood out especially due to its…let’s say…experimental approach towards a cycling bridge which won it the special mention prize: “High-Speed Car Ramp” by Portuguese Tiago Barros + Jorge Pereira. Below is some project info from the team:

Project Architects: Tiago Barros + Jorge Pereira
Team: Ines Valente and Joao Paulo Fernandes

Why change the route of pedestrians and cyclists?

We propose a High-Speed Car Ramp that enables pedestrians and cyclists to cross freely the Segunda Circular Highway. North and South become connected again.
The cars path is altered by a ramp that acts as a bridge for vehicles. Drivers are expected to accelerate - burning more gas - which is provided by Galp Energia.

The ramp will provide a long lasting event. An event that will take place every second a car goes by. This long lasting show will bring people from all over the world. A new tourist attraction takes place. The arrival of this new catalyst will foster the redevelopment of the whole region.

Images: Tiago Barros + Jorge Pereira