Bridge across the Ziegel Lake, Schwerin

The goal is always to give each structure a special identity of its own, despite keeping the expenditure low in terms of material and energy. That is to say, the structure should be designed in such a way that nothing must be added to it and nothing can be taken away from it, while still ensuring that it exudes a special quality.In the case of the opening bridge over the Ziegel Lake we took this principle to the limit. We dispensed with the usual counter-weight structure for raising a bridge generally found in bascules or drawbridges. By separating it into two pedestrian bridges and a bridge for motorised vehicles, and connecting these by means of a transmission system, the pedestrian bridges itself become the counterweights for the motorised traffic bridge and vice-versa.