Ney and Partners curves footbridge between arches of French viaduct

Belgian engineering studio Ney and Partners has created a sinuous footbridge in Albi, France, which cantilevers from a 19th-century viaduct over the River Tarn.

Made from steel, the pedestrian and bicycle bridge is straight along one side, while the other side meanders in a waving pattern between the 4.7 metre-wide arches of the brick railway viaduct.

Curving to 7.5 metres at the widest points, Ney and Partners added seating to the bridge to create balcony-like spaces with views across the river.

Influenced by the geometry of the viaduct and its seven arches, the studio wanted to translate the brick structure's curved forms in elevation into curved shapes in plan.

"The footbridge geometry is closely related to that of the railway viaduct," Ney and Partners partner Matthieu Mallié told Dezeen.

"A waving pattern has been introduced to the walking line of the footbridge, matching the rhythm of the viaduct's arches," he continued.

"The bridge deck unfolds upstream to form balconies above the Tarn, each equipped with a bench located exactly at the mid-span of each arch of the railway viaduct, which provides shade and protection to the passers-by."

The bridge aims to provide a link between Albi town centre and the neighbourhoods across the River Tarn, with spaces that offer moments to pause and observe the surroundings.

Built in 1865, the masonry viaduct serves a railway that is still in operation. The footbridge is fixed to the viaduct with bi-articulated steel brackets, which allow for movement caused by thermal expansion.

"This dual articulation allows the footbridge to expand freely under thermal loads, while ensuring the transmission of forces originating from the footbridge, such as self-weight and pedestrian loads," said Mallié.

Other footbridges that have been featured on Dezeen include a minimalist concrete bridge in Prague designed to resemble marble and a footbridge in the Czech Republic with a cantilevered viewpoint.

Ney and Partners was founded in 1996 in Brussels by civil engineer and architect Laurent Ney.

The studio previously built the Tintagel Castle Bridge in Cornwall, constructed from two 30-metre cantilevered spans that don't quite meet in the middle, which won the inaugural Beauty Building Awards in 2022.

The photography is by Vincent Boutin.

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