Abaadi Bridge Competition

Connecting the grounds of the National Library and Archive to the other side of the highway, Abaadi pedestrian sky bridge is narrated to create not only an elevated pathway across the sky but also an uplifting oasis amidst one of Tehran’s most congested traffic routes, catering for both pedestrians and cyclists either to simply pass or take a moment to observe the speed of life down below.

The design concept stems from the combination of visions of aerodynamic speed together with organic growth; a growth so natural such as that of a rhizome.

In A Thousand Plateaus, Deleuze and Guattari oppose the idea of a rhizome to an arborescent conception of knowledge where rather than a root-tree system searching for a pinnacle or conclusion, it ‘ceaselessly establishes connections’ between things.” The planar movement of the rhizome resists chronology and organization, instead favoring a nomadic system of growth and propagation.”

The bridge therefore surfaces itself very organically along the defined plane, crafting a context for the spread of social interaction, culture and vitality, with the very pace of everyday urban life.