How an HfG project made it possible to experience the new bicycle bridge at the airport early on
Next year, a new bicycle and pedestrian bridge will connect Frankfurt Airport with the Gateway Gardens district – an important step for sustainable mobility around the airport. We are particularly pleased that the basic design idea for this bridge originated in a semester project in the winter of 2016/17. At that time, students led by Prof. Peter Eckart developed visionary concepts for a bicycle and pedestrian bridge at this very location as part of a project funded by the Federal Ministry of Transport.
A location that needs new perspectives on bicycle traffic
Frankfurt Airport is a complex transportation hub – a place of work for tens of thousands of people and a location with high mobility density. Despite the many routes, for a long time there were few options for bicycle and pedestrian traffic, especially around the intersection of Kapitän-Lehmann-Straße and Hugo-Eckener-Ring. Until now, cyclists had to negotiate eight traffic lights to cross the road. The HfG semester project addressed precisely this situation:
What could a bridge at this location look like that is functional, creates safety, and at the same time is a clear invitation to cycle? The decisive factor was not only the design itself, but above all a special approach: the development ofvisions of the future.
Visions of the future: designs you can experience
To answer this question, the students used tools that were still relatively uncommon in planning processes at the time. Augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) were used to prepare the bridge designs in such a way that they could be experienced directly on site – including spatial effects, height gradients, sightlines, and atmosphere.
This form of visualization fundamentally changed the discussion: instead of talking about abstract aesthetic categories such as “beautiful” or “harmonious,” people suddenly began discussing concrete sensations:
- “It looks high here.”
- “You have a great view from up here.”
- “This area is too dark.”
- “The ramp feels comfortable.”
The visions of the future made it possible to experience how the bridge might feel – and thus created a common basis for decisions.
An exhibition right at the airport
An essential part of the project was the presentation of the results directly on site: In 2017, Fraport organized an exhibition in which the HfG students were able to present their work in detail.
On display were:
- physical models of the bridge designs,
- prototypes of components and design concepts,
- AR simulations that allowed visitors to the airport to immerse themselves directly in the future images,
- and detailed project documentation.
This exhibition provided an important opportunity to present the designs to a broad audience of experts, decision-makers, and Fraport employees. It showed what the bridges could look like, how they could function, and what effect they could have—and played a key role in making the vision tangible and open to discussion.
A contribution to the current implementation
Now that Fraport has announced plans to build a bicycle and pedestrian bridge, highlighting the basic design concept from the university competition, a beautiful connection has emerged: the early designs by HfG students—and in particular the visions of the future they created at the time—helped to make possibilities visible and facilitate exchange between all parties involved. Many of the elements that have now been realized, such as the curved shape, the visual shielding from the A3, and the inviting guide for cyclists and pedestrians, were already made tangible at that time and could thus be incorporated into further planning.
Why visions of the future are more important today than ever before
Planning thrives on imagination. The more complex a location is, the more valuable methods that make future spaces tangible become. The work of the students in 2016/17 exemplifies how university projects can initiate transformation processes – by creating a tangible basis that facilitates discussion and makes visions concrete. We are therefore particularly pleased that a bridge will be built in the coming years that has developed from these early ideas. It shows how closely research, teaching, and practice can work together when the future becomes visible and accessible.
