Giorgetto Giugiaro, one of the world’s most famous car designers, has donated a concept developed by the Giugiaro Architettura company for the construction of the new bridge in Garessio, little town near Turin and his hometown, damaged by last autumn’s floods. The project is proposed in two colour versions and it will be the students of Garessio who will choose the final face of the new bridge to replace the historic one.
“I felt it was my duty to contribute to my town with a concept developed at Giugiaro Architettura. Our project envisages a single-span bridge of modern technology, with no supports in the riverbed, raised as thinly as possible to distance itself from the water levels encountered during floods. The bridge is supported by a large, dramatic glulam arch incorporating steel tie rods. The wooden elements originate from local resources,” explains Giorgetto Giugiaro.
“The arch also houses the lighting systems for both functionality and aesthetic effect. To ensure continuity with the context of the historic centre, the roadway and walkway are tiled in porphyry. The entrances to the bridge are wide, while halfway along the road the road widens to form a resting area with benches: a new place for future aggregation that can encourage the relaxed enjoyment of the view. The colours of the historic Odasso bridge have been recalled: the red of the bricks becomes the colour of the lower structure of the bridge, while the grey of the stone is recalled in the colour of the arch,” explains Giorgetto Giugiaro.
