As winners of the Yangjaegogae Eco-bridge Design Competition, KILD architects have designed a wildlife crossing that will help animals pass over a busy highway near Seoul in South Korea. In a design that makes it unique from other animal bridges across the world, theirs mimics the gentle sloping of the two mountains it connects.
Uniting the peaks of Mount Umyeon and Maljukgeori parks, the green bridge includes dual lanes for human and animal traffic. An upper slope for wildlife mirrors the mountain terrain, with a straight path provides access for humans. The architecture collective, composed of Ivane Ksnelashvili, Petras Išora and Ona Lozuraitytė, took inspiration from Korean landscape paintings in designing the form of the bridge, which will be covered in local vegetation.
Through its thoughtful, seamless design, the eco-bridge follows the tradition of Korean gardens, which aim to merge themselves with nature. By acting as an extension of the mountain, the nearly 400-foot bridge will create a new, necessary pathway for local wildlife.
The design also includes built-in water collection and distribution, for self-sustaining maintenance of the greenery. The steel structure also includes safety railings and will be placed at a height studied to optimize the distance between traffic and pollution. And easily accessible entry points, uninterrupted by humans, ensure that animals have priority in crossing.
The Seoul government recently ran a competition to create a 28,000 square-foot eco-bridge and animal crossing over a busy highway. KILD Architects had the winning design.
h/t: [Inhabitat, designboom]
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