Sakura-Kobashi Bridge wins a Merit Design Award from the Japan Society of Engineers (JSCE)

2019.11.22

Sakura-Kobashi Bridge (Chuo-Ward, Tokyo) for which EJEC was in charge of the design, is awarded a design prize (Merit Design Award) by the JSCE.

– JSCE Design Prizes 2019 (web site in Japanese)
– Selection results  (web site in Japanese)
– Location of Sakura-Kobashi Bridge (Google Map)

Outline

Sakura-Kobashi Bridge is an 87.8 m long pedestrian bridge which crosses Asashio Canal, a historic waterfront in Tokyo, and its construction was completed in October 1, 2017.

It is one of the planned bridges to increase accessibility to the Tsukishima, Kachidoki and Harumi Districts, to ease congestion on the pavements along Harumi Street, and to provide a disaster evacuation route. A comprehensive design approach was adopted for the bridge, involving not only the bridge itself but also the spaces at the bridge ends and connected streets to ensure accessibility to neighbouring areas as well as canal-side spaces, creating an attractive waterfront.

Taking the advice of the reviewing committee and the requests of local residents, the planning of the ward office and design team prioritized the privacy of nearby residents, improved attractiveness of the adjacent housing areas and an universal design throughout in addition to increased accessibility.

In regard to the bridge proper, it was necessary to satisfy various constraints. For example, the positions of the piers must provide for the navigation width of Asashio Canal, sustainable height clearance for the safe passage of boats using the canal and housing of 12 pipelines for power cables. Another constraint was the limited space for the construction work. Various designs were considered to achieve a silhouette of the appearance of gently floating thin girders in view of the design requirement of enhancing the waterfront attractiveness.

The prize awarding ceremony took place publicly on January 15, 2020 at the lecture hall of the JSCE in Tokyo..

About the JSCE Design Prize

The JSCE Design Prize is an award system organized by the JSCE Landscape and Design Committee. It was created in 2001 and its official title is “Design Prize of the JSCE Landscape and Design Committee”. Wide-ranging civil engineering structures and public spaces are eligible for application. Various prizes are awarded to works, which create an integral landscape with the adjacent environments or areas and achieve the conservation of such environments or areas through inventive ideas regarding planning, design techniques, utilization of a system and/or organizational activities. Prizes are also awarded to those individuals or organizations which have contributed to the realization of the said landscape, etc. The aims of such commendation are listed below.

Presentation of an excellent design of a civil engineering structure or public space and relevant guidelines Discovery, recognition and spread of engineers possessing creative ideas and design ability Establishment of grounds for the discussion and verification of plans, systems, design and technological improvement to contribute to the building of a beautiful nation Realization of a cultured society with a rich public character through the accumulation of excellent civil engineering structures and public spaces
(From the JSCE Design Prize Website)

Widening and warm paving towards the foot of the bridge

Attentive design for the whole structure as well as details to give pedestrians a feeling of high quality and intimacy

Improvement of both attractiveness of residential arearand good accessibility to the waterfront

Subtle but memorable design of the newel post

Nice touch of colourful kerbstone tiles

Simple and light silhouette

Lighting which gives peace of mind for pedestrians and creates lovely night scenes