IN SHORT
Since the beginning of the late eighties, Buenos Aires began to take interest in urban planning development strategies and particularly sought to revitalise the city's run-down port area, the Puerto Madero. Named after the engineer Eduardo Madero, who proposed the construction of the port in 1881, the area was already idle by 1925 when a new port was built to the north. Various proposals sought to revitalize the area, but it was not until 1989 that the Corporacion Antiguo Puerto Madero formulated a complete redevelopment master plan. Currently, the 170-hectare site is being transformed into a new commercial and residential center and tourist area.
Among the notable developments are the construction of a Hilton Apartment Hotel and the Museum of the Sea and cinemas on the east side of Puerto Madero's Dock 3. Streets on either side of Dock 3 link Puerto Madero to the city. However, the pedestrian routes around Dock 3 are inadequately connected to the urban fabric and to the nearby axis created by the El Cabildo (Old Town Hall), Plaza de Mayo and Casa Rosada. The challenge presented by the client, Grupo Gonzàlez S.A., called for a footbridge design for Dock 3 that will improve pedestrian circulation and connect the plazas on either side of the embankment, while at the same time leaving an unobstructed dock that is still used for water traffic.
The solution to this challenge is the Puente de la Mujer: a structure that consists of a 102-meter (335 feet) long rotating suspension bridge, set between a pair of fixed approach spans. The central section is suspended by cables from an 39-meter (128 feet) high inclined pylon. The timber-cladded deck is only slightly inclined and provides a barrier-free connection for pedestrians and cyclists. This section of the bridge can rotate 90 degrees to allow free passage of water traffic. The weight of the mechanical tower balances the weight of the pylon, allowing the rotational system to be simplified. Built of reinforced concrete and steel and paved with local timber, the Puente de la Mujer is illuminated at night, transforming it into a new symbol for Buenos Aires. In conjunction with other recently built structures in the area, the Puente de la Mujer contributes to a new sense of place for Puerto Madero.
YEAR
1999 - 2001
ADDRESS
Puente de la Mujer
Buenos Aires
AWARDS
- Monumento y Patrimonio Cultural de la ciudad