A Different World

[JackLuis]

"I call it an inverted high-rise," Manal Rachdi of Oxo Architecture told FastCo Exist. Designed to be an autonomous community, the top of the bridge would serve as a pedestrian walkway with a section cordoned off for cars. Below, self-sustaining residences, shops, and leisure centers would be built into the bridges' support structures. The concept imagines residents living comfortably in the neighborhoods created within the upside-down towers, all while enjoying the view of the Calabrian countryside.

An interesting idea, but how would a small town organize itself living under a bridge?

Italian Troll Bridges?

 

[3113]

An interesting idea, but how would a small town organize itself living under a bridge?

Didn't London Bridge used to be that very thing? Back before the 20th century, I mean.

 

[oggbashan]

Didn't London Bridge used to be that very thing? Back before the 20th century, I mean.

No. They were living on top of the bridge.

But this idea isn't new. It was suggested for new towns in England in the 1930s, and revived in the 1950s.

The roads and mass-transit systems (light rail, tram or bus) were to be above the apartment blocks which would have been surrounded, at ground level, by parks and farm land.

Road widening could have been difficult, as could increasing car park space if insufficient when built.

1937 report:

http://longstreet.typepad.com/thesc...ty-planning-with-the-bressey-report-1937.html

 

[slyc_willie]

I think I would live in eternal fear of some amateur base jumper crashing through my window.

But in a dystopian/utopian future when the human population reaches 25 billion or so, this would be pretty common.

 

[sr71plt]

In theory, a great idea (if the bridge structure is already built to support it), but it would need even more maintenance than just a vehicle bridge, and, well, this is it Italy. And there's a reason why they are considering alternatives.

 

[Handley_Page]

I wonder how they'll insulate the upper apartments from, say,
the noise of the bridge traffic ?
After all, it would be no particular fun in a romantic event as the 7.23 to Perugia (or wherever) goes rumbling past.

 

[TxRad]

I wonder how they'll insulate the upper apartments from the noise of the bridge traffic ?

Instead of the ground floor being the cheap rent, the top floor will be.

 

[oggbashan]

In the 19th Century, many railways were built on long viaducts leading out of London. The brick arches underneath were rented out to small businesses - some still are - and many significant British companies started in an arch under a railway line.

They didn't worry about noise from the trains passing overhead. The tenants often made so much noise that they couldn't hear the trains, only feel the vibration.

 

[sr71plt]

I wonder how they'll insulate the upper apartments from, say,
the noise of the bridge traffic ?
After all, it would be no particular fun in a romantic event as the 7.23 to Perugia (or wherever) goes rumbling past.

My impression is that it's a bridge going nowhere and would, essentially, be a parking lot.

 

[Aynmair]

In the 19th Century, many railways were built on long viaducts leading out of London. The brick arches underneath were rented out to small businesses - some still are - and many significant British companies started in an arch under a railway line.

They didn't worry about noise from the trains passing overhead. The tenants often made so much noise that they couldn't hear the trains, only feel the vibration.

good vibrations? that's handy when the batteries run out (in reference to patientlee in another thread)

 

[oggbashan]

The problem with the Italian idea in the original post is that they haven't got the money to finish the motorway that they need.

If they had the money, and it wasn't siphoned off by corruption (a big IF in Italy), they wouldn't need to build villages to use the bridges of the incomplete motorway.

If they did build the villages, the standard of construction of the existing bridges makes hanging the apartments from the support pillars extremely dangerous. They would have to tear the bridges down and start again - and if they could afford to do that, they could build the motorway properly.