Rethinking Bridges

Bridges are cornerstones of our society, whose importance we often only realize when they are gone—as the collapse of the Carola Bridge in Dresden and the temporary closure of the Elbe Bridge in Bad Schandau have impressively demonstrated.

The exhibition “Rethinking Bridges,” designed by the Institute for Solid Construction at TU Dresden, examines the topic of bridges and their importance for society from various perspectives. Bridges are much more than just functional connections between two points—they are places of encounter, recreation, and cultural experience. The exhibition shows how visions of bridges have changed over the centuries – from symbols of order in ancient times, to symbols of progress during the Industrial Revolution, to symbols of functionality and transportation in the 1930s to 1990s.

It also raises the question of whether every bridge should be built simply because we are now capable of doing so. The example of Dresden's Augustus Bridge illustrates how a structure has changed over the centuries. This historical overview provides an opportunity to discuss the role of bridges in modern times and to stimulate ideas for the design and functional layout of bridges that meet today's and tomorrow's requirements.

National and international examples are used to show how bridges can be profitably integrated into the urban landscape, into nature, and into our living environment. The exhibition also presents visions for a new Carola Bridge, which were developed as part of a student competition at TU Dresden. At the same time, STESAD provides information about the current planning process for the Carola Bridge. Four planning offices are currently working independently on designs for this project.