Prague-based EHL & Koumar Architekti have constructed a new footbridge with an elevator in Litomyšl, in the Czech Republic, connecting the Municipal office to the town centre. The footbridge replaces an overpass built in 1981. The new steel structure is supported by exposed concrete pillars, with the elevator block forming part of the support. A central pillar with a concrete staircase, and on the western side, an abutment on an existing retaining wall, serve as the other supports for the structure.
The welded steel bridge features a continuous beam structure with two spans and cantilevered ends. It consists of two main Vierendeel girders connected by transverse beams, forming a 3-dimensional girder measuring 3.07m x 3.07m x 3.07m. The same dimensions are repeated in the reinforced concrete supports.
The bridge forms a landmark visible from the town square and offers views over the Loučná River. The elevator entrances and the rear wall of the elevator tower depict graphics by artist Ivana Šrámková. Photo by Tomas Soucek. EHL & Koumar Architekti
