As part of this year’s Sculpture by the Sea festival, Danish practice Gjøde & Povlsgaard have installed ‘The Infinite Bridge’ in the scenic coastal landscape surrounding the city of Aarhus.
The Infinite Bridge has a diameter of 60 meters and is positioned half on the beach and half in the sea. It consists of 60 identical wooden elements placed on steel pillars housed about two meters into the sea floor. The deck of the bridge rises between one and two meters above the water surface depending on the tide. The curvature of the bridge follows the contours of the landscape as it sits at the mouth of a small river valley extending into the forest from the beach.
In addition to unfolding the seaside panorama The Infinite Bridge establishes a connection between the present and the history of the specific site, as it reconnects the beach to a long forgotten viewpoint at sea.
“The bridge touches the landing dock of a previous pier located at the site where people used to arrive in steamboats from the city to relax and enjoy themselves. The historic Varna Pavilion that sits on the hillside above the beach was a popular destination in the scenic landscape with its terraces, restaurant and dancehall. Situated on the edge of the forest facing the sea the pavilion was meant to be experienced from the landing dock of the pier that no longer exists. The Infinite Bridge reestablishes this historic connection and offers a new perspective on the relation between the city and the surrounding landscape,” says Niels Povlsgaard, partner and co-founder of Gjøde & Povlsgaard Arkitekter.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t9vnLJ6m9mM
all images © Aarhus I Billeder Photography / video courtesy of Thomas Nøhr