In January 2020 the competition of the new rail and road bridges in Oxberg kicked off. The bridges will replace one of Sweden’s few combined road and rail bridges spanning the Österdal River north of Oxberg in Dalecarlia. MARELD participated with the proposal ”Trail” in one of five international, pre-qualified teams. Congratulations to the winning team – COWI – Dissing+Weitling!
The proposed rail bridge reflects the landscape and the river. It is foreign at the same time as it is almost perceived as invisible. Just as the old Oxberg bridge was a symbol of its time during industrialization, with a visible, strong steel construction and manifestation of the human ability to tame steel and nature, the new Oxberg bridge is a symbol of the time we live in now and the approach we have to nature and the environment around us.
The landscape design refers to the history of the site and the activities that were previously conducted in and around the river through a game with logs in the gravel pavement. The logs’ patterns strengthen the orientability in the area and refers to the patterns that the timber formed on the river when it was transported to the cities via the river. In some selected places, the logs grow out of the ground and form benches and tables.
Team: Kjellander Sjöberg, Cowi UK, Explorations Architecture, Luxigon & MARELD