A new pedestrian-and-bicycle bridge crossing the river Rhône and representing intercultural harmony was completed in Lyon, France. The Passerelle de la Paix (Peace Bridge) had been commissioned by the Urban Community of Lyon (also known as Grand Lyon) – a government subdivision within east-central France that was reorganized as the Metropolis of Lyon in 2015 – to connect the section of Lyon that is called Cité Internationale with the public greenspace of Parc-Saint Clair in the multiethnic commune of Caluire-et-Cuire.
The Austrian firm Dietmar Feichtinger Architectes was hired to design the Passerelle de la Paix, and construction on the bridge began in March 2011. The bridge consists of a 712-foot (217-meter)-long upper section and 512-foot (156-meter)-long lower section; both sections intersect at one point to form a public space complete with benches. José Luis Fuentes, who served as the lead architect for the project, highlighted other innovative features of the bridge during an interview with the French television news channel La Chaîne Info. He explained, “It’s a very particular and unusual work because the structure has no support in the river bed but only on both banks.”
About three months after completion of the Passerelle de la Paix, it was officially opened to the public by Gérard Collomb, president of Grand Lyon; and Dietmar Feichtinger, the founder and head of the architectural firm bearing his name.
For more information about the Passerelle de la Paix, please check out https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passerelle_de_la_Paix.
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