Lilleakerbyen is a district on the west side of Oslo. The Lysaker river, which it straddles, has defined its development for generations. The family run Mustad Eiendom company has occupied the 300 acre site for 150 years, initially using the river and local resources for industry, then building the infrastructure needed to support a growing community. Despite strong transport connections to the centre of Oslo, the site lacks an urban atmosphere and the amenities to attract residents and visitors. The next decade marks a turning point as the owners transform Lilleakerbyen into a vibrant mixed-use neighbourhood.The Lilleakerbyen masterplan understands the importance of infrastructure, civic spaces and its most valuable asset: the river. This blue green corridor both divides and connects the site: a physical barrier but also an oasis of nature within an otherwise urban environment. It is no surprise that central to the masterplan are nine bridges: some exist, most are new proposals. To develop these bridges from lines on a map into feasible structures, an international multistage competition was held over the winter of 2023-2024. Despite staggered phasing, designing them simultaneously was a chance for interaction amongst the teams and total focus by the client.Moxon and Cowi teamed up for the competition having collaborated on dozens of projects over the past two decades. After passing a prequalification round they were assigned three of the central bridges, competing against another team for each. Designing three bridges in close proximity is a special opportunity. In contrast to a ‘one size fits all’ solution, the team thought each should respond to the specifics of its site and function with potential for commonalities across the bridges to help them read as a family (possibly cousins rather than siblings).
Firth et al. (Wed,) studied this question.