South Pedestrian Bridge at Broadway Station
Denver, Colorado
SAR+ was asked by the City of Denver to lead the design of a network of pedestrian bridges which will serve the greater Broadway Station Metro District, navigating across the light and heavy rail tracks and over the South Platte River, connecting the various components of the District to each other and providing improved connections to the greater surrounding community. The distinctive natural material of corten steel was chosen as a way to unify the different bridges with a common language, a warm glow signifying mobility and access throughout.
The South Pedestrian Bridge provides local access to residents and visitors navigating on foot or by bicycle over Cherokee St, Bannock St, and across the heavy and light rail lines, from the riverfront Tennessee Ave Plaza to the bustling restaurants and shops of Gates District. Navigating a number of different contexts, the design unifies the three spans into a single arched truss made of the District’s signature corten steel, which crests in the middle to clear the train access but dips down as low as possible at each end to minimize the climb up. At the east end, the bridge is supported by a water tower providing signage and a marker of the site of the historic Gates Rubber Factory upon which the Gates District sits, while at the west end, the strength of the truss is leveraged as it extends out to form a cantilevered viewing platform from which to view a mountain sunset above the South Platte River.
- Location Denver, Colorado
- Client Broadway Station Metro District
- Markets Bridges/InfrastructureCivic/CulturalMixed-Use
- Type Architecture
