Zapallar Bridge

by Enrique Browne

©Enrique Browne y Cristián Hrdalo

©Enrique Browne y Cristián Hrdalo

Architect: Enrique Browne
Collaborators: Rodrigo Rojas, Davor Pavlovic, Baltazar Sánchez  y Tomás Swett
Client: Ilustre Municipalidad de Zapallar
Main contractor: Besalco S.A.
Structural Engineering: Alfonso Larraín
Construction and pre-assembly in laminate wood: Ingelam
Materials: laminate wood
Lighting design: Paulina Sir
Location: Ruta f-30-e, Zapallar, V Región, Chile
Project year: 2006-2008
Photographs: Enrique Browne y Cristián Hrdalo

This bridge, built over a coastal highway that connects a group of low income residences in Zapallar, provides various visual interpretations and ensures safe pedestrian traffic in the area.

A group of low income residences was built for families that live and work in the traditional resort town of Zapallar, on the central coast of Chile. The new residences are located on a small hill opposite the resort, close to the F30-E route, a coastal road that connects several towns. It is a high traffic route with winding curves that make vision difficult and endanger those that travel daily along this place, among them, children that go to school and local workers. Hence, a bridge that will offer safety to the pedestrian traffic was commissioned, uniting the paths along the high parts of both sectors. Furthermore, it will serve as a link for water and energy ducts crossing from one side to the other.

The bridge was intended to be built with laminate wood, simply supported by concrete bases. Part of the execution and assembly was carried out in a factory in Santiago and transported by land to Zapallar, where it was installed and the finishing work was completed.

It has the transversal shape of a boat, which in practice is an inverted triangular bow bent lengthwise, thereby reducing deformations. A main beam, in the lower part, withstands flexion. However, the deformations are controlled by the overall assembly formed by the main beam and two secondary lateral beams parallel to the first. The three beams are joined together by “frames” and boarding. The interior elements are compressed or tensioned.

The “frames” are lifted to sustain the metallic railings, the pipes with LEDS lighting and the metallic mesh to avoiding the event of rocks being flung at vehicles. All the materials were kept in their natural colors.

For non-architectural reasons, the bridge was set up some 50 meters below the vertex of the road. Also, the ramps and railings of the access paths to the bridge were not carried out according to the architectural blueprints.

In any case, the work offers different interpretations. It can be viewed as the inverted hull of the boats on the beach, as a tiara of a beauty queen, as an entrance arch to the resort, as a spine of a fish, etc.