Passerelle Simone-de-Beauvoir
Encyclopedia
The Passerelle
Simone-de-Beauvoir (initially known by the provisional name of passerelle Bercy-Tolbiac) is a bridge solely for pedestrians and cyclists across the Seine
River in Paris
. It is the 37th bridge on the Seine to Paris. It is located between the bridges of Pont de Bercy
and Pont de Tolbiac
and links up the 12th
and 13th
arrondissements of Paris. Its nearest Paris Metro
station is Quai de la Gare
.
) is made of steel, weighs 650 tons, is 106 metres (347.8 ft) long and 12 metres (39.4 ft) wide. The span was constructed by the Eiffel company
(Eiffel Constructions métalliques) in the Alsace
and was transported by canal
, the North Sea
, the English Channel
and French rivers (with difficulties due to sluices being too narrow) to its destination, crossing Paris on a barge on November 30, 2005. It was hoisted in place in two hours on January 29, 2006, around three o'clock in the morning.
The passerelle is characteristic of its time and distinguishes itself from the three other footbridges that already cross the Seine in Paris (Passerelle Solférino, Pont des Arts
, and Passerelle Debilly
). The geometry of its members reduces shearing. This is a lens-shaped structure. Its rotational anchorage on its supports brings its structural height back down to the different levels of the quais
at either end. Its five crossings pass over the river without supports in water. It rejoins the streets on the high bank (directly into the parvise
of the Bibliothèque François-Mitterrand
(new Bibliothèque nationale de France), on the Rive Gauche
(left bank), and directly into the parc de Bercy
on the Rive Droite
(right bank). It has double supports on the lower banks (quai François-Mauriac on the rive gauche, and quai de Bercy on the rive droite). A protected area mid-way at the central lens allows pedestrians to shelter from rain.
In March 2005, Bertrand Delanoë
, the mayor of Paris, proposed naming it "Passerelle Simone de Beauvoir" and inaugurated the bridge on July 13, 2006, with de Beauvoir's adoptive daughter Sylvie Le Bon-de Beauvoir
in attendance.
Passerelle
The Passerelle, also known as the Luxembourg Viaduct, is a viaduct in Luxembourg City, in southern Luxembourg. It runs southwards from the city centre, Ville Haute, carrying road traffic across the Pétrusse valley and connecting Boulevard Franklin Delano Roosevelt to Avenue de la Gare...
Simone-de-Beauvoir (initially known by the provisional name of passerelle Bercy-Tolbiac) is a bridge solely for pedestrians and cyclists across the Seine
Seine
The Seine is a -long river and an important commercial waterway within the Paris Basin in the north of France. It rises at Saint-Seine near Dijon in northeastern France in the Langres plateau, flowing through Paris and into the English Channel at Le Havre . It is navigable by ocean-going vessels...
River in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. It is the 37th bridge on the Seine to Paris. It is located between the bridges of Pont de Bercy
Pont de Bercy
The Pont de Bercy is a bridge over the Seine in Paris, France.The structure links the 12th and 13th arrondissements of Paris by extending the Boulevard de Bercy and the Boulevard Vincent-Auriol...
and Pont de Tolbiac
Pont de Tolbiac
The pont de Tolbiac is a bridge across the Seine in Paris built between 1879 and 1882 by H.P. Bernard, and J.D.A. Pérouse. It crosses from the 12th to the 13th arrondissement, linking quai de Bercy to rue Neuve Tolbiac...
and links up the 12th
XIIe arrondissement
The 12th arrondissement of Paris is one of the 20 arrondissements of the capital city of France....
and 13th
XIIIe arrondissement
The 13th arrondissement of Paris is one of the 20 arrondissements of the capital city of France....
arrondissements of Paris. Its nearest Paris Metro
Paris Métro
The Paris Métro or Métropolitain is the rapid transit metro system in Paris, France. It has become a symbol of the city, noted for its density within the city limits and its uniform architecture influenced by Art Nouveau. The network's sixteen lines are mostly underground and run to 214 km ...
station is Quai de la Gare
Quai de la Gare (Paris Metro)
Quai de la Gare is a station of the Paris Métro serving line 6 at the intersection of the Quai de la Gare and the Boulevard Vincent Auriol in the 13th arrondissement....
.
History
The central span of the bridge (named the peltinée by its architects, Feichtinger Architectes, under Dietmar FeichtingerDietmar Feichtinger
Dietmar Feichtinger is an Austrian architect established since 1989 in Paris. He studied architecture at the Graz University of Technology and graduated [summa] cum laude in 1988. After gaining initial experience with Prof. Huth, Prof. Giencke and Prof...
) is made of steel, weighs 650 tons, is 106 metres (347.8 ft) long and 12 metres (39.4 ft) wide. The span was constructed by the Eiffel company
Eiffel (company)
Eiffel is part of the Eiffage group and the descendant of the engineering company Société des Établissements Eiffel founded by Gustave Eiffel, designer of the Eiffel Tower....
(Eiffel Constructions métalliques) in the Alsace
Alsace
Alsace is the fifth-smallest of the 27 regions of France in land area , and the smallest in metropolitan France. It is also the seventh-most densely populated region in France and third most densely populated region in metropolitan France, with ca. 220 inhabitants per km²...
and was transported by canal
Canal
Canals are man-made channels for water. There are two types of canal:#Waterways: navigable transportation canals used for carrying ships and boats shipping goods and conveying people, further subdivided into two kinds:...
, the North Sea
North Sea
In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
, the English Channel
English Channel
The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
and French rivers (with difficulties due to sluices being too narrow) to its destination, crossing Paris on a barge on November 30, 2005. It was hoisted in place in two hours on January 29, 2006, around three o'clock in the morning.
Pont des Arts
The Pont des Arts or Passerelle des Arts is a pedestrian bridge in Paris which crosses the Seine River. It links the Institut de France and the central square of the palais du Louvre, .-History:Between 1802 and 1804, a nine-arch metallic bridge for pedestrians was constructed at the location of...
, and Passerelle Debilly
Passerelle Debilly
The Passerelle Debilly is an arch bridge situated in Paris bestriding the Seine. It is a footbridge that connects the quai de New York to the quai Branly, close to the Eiffel Tower.-History:...
). The geometry of its members reduces shearing. This is a lens-shaped structure. Its rotational anchorage on its supports brings its structural height back down to the different levels of the quais
Wharf
A wharf or quay is a structure on the shore of a harbor where ships may dock to load and unload cargo or passengers.Such a structure includes one or more berths , and may also include piers, warehouses, or other facilities necessary for handling the ships.A wharf commonly comprises a fixed...
at either end. Its five crossings pass over the river without supports in water. It rejoins the streets on the high bank (directly into the parvise
Parvise
Parvise or parvis may refer to:#A room over the porch of a church — quite often found in Norman churches in England. In some churches these rooms were used for school rooms and in Castle Ashby was the home of a woman - who saved the manor house from burning when she saw the fire taking hold from...
of the Bibliothèque François-Mitterrand
Bibliothèque nationale de France
The is the National Library of France, located in Paris. It is intended to be the repository of all that is published in France. The current president of the library is Bruno Racine.-History:...
(new Bibliothèque nationale de France), on the Rive Gauche
Rive Gauche
La Rive Gauche is the southern bank of the river Seine in Paris. Here the river flows roughly westward, cutting the city in two: looking downstream, the southern bank is to the left, and the northern bank is to the right....
(left bank), and directly into the parc de Bercy
Parc de Bercy
Parc de Bercy is a group of three connected gardens in the 12th arrondissement of Paris. With a combined area of some 14 hectares, it is one of the most important parks in the city...
on the Rive Droite
Rive Droite
La Rive Droite is most associated with the river Seine in central Paris. Here the river flows roughly westwards, cutting the city into two: looking downstream, the northern bank is to the right, and the southern bank is to the left....
(right bank). It has double supports on the lower banks (quai François-Mauriac on the rive gauche, and quai de Bercy on the rive droite). A protected area mid-way at the central lens allows pedestrians to shelter from rain.
In March 2005, Bertrand Delanoë
Bertrand Delanoë
Bertrand Delanoë is a French politician, and has been the mayor of Paris since 2001. He is member of the Socialist Party . Delanoë was born in Tunis, Tunisia to a French-Tunisian father and a French mother...
, the mayor of Paris, proposed naming it "Passerelle Simone de Beauvoir" and inaugurated the bridge on July 13, 2006, with de Beauvoir's adoptive daughter Sylvie Le Bon-de Beauvoir
Sylvie Le Bon-de Beauvoir
Sylvie Le Bon-de Beauvoir is the adoptive daughter of Simone de Beauvoir. She is a philosophy professor. The meeting between the two women was recounted in the book Tout compte fait, which Beauvoir dedicated to her....
in attendance.
Timeline
- September 2004: network deviation
- October 2004: foundations laid
- 2005 - 2006: links set up one by one
- June 2006: dynamic and static works
- July 2006: inaugurated and opened to the public