Jiangyin Greenway | BAU Brearley Architects + Urbanists

Jiangyin Greenway, China 

More than a path – The architects’ design for this 4km raised bicycle path goes well beyond the brief to include an infrastructure of leisure and amenity.

Place making AND programming – The journey along this greenway is articulated with a number of events: an amphitheatre, a raised plaza with permanent sound instruments, pavilions with services, several exercise playgrounds with slides, climbing ramps and swings hanging under the greenway, to name a few.

Responsive AND surprising – The path responds to context with arbors and seating plazas overlooking lakes and canals; stairs located at street
intersections; and landmark bridges over roads.

Membranes, trusses and cradles – The seven bridges explore three structural principles: perforated membranes, trusses, and suspension systems.

Dancing lightly – Fabricated by a local shipbuilding company, the cross-legged column structure, sometimes leaning left, sometimes right,
creates a dynamic choreography.