The Zubizuri also called the Campo Volantin Bridge or Puente del Campo Volantin, is a tied arch

Tied arch bridge

A tied-arch bridge is an arch bridge in which the outward-directed horizontal forces of the arch, or top chord, are borne as tension by the bottom chord , rather than by the ground or the bridge foundations...

 footbridge

Footbridge

A footbridge or pedestrian bridge is a bridge designed for pedestrians and in some cases cyclists, animal traffic and horse riders, rather than vehicular traffic. Footbridges complement the landscape and can be used decoratively to visually link two distinct areas or to signal a transaction...

 across the Nervion River in Bilbao

Bilbao

Bilbao ) is a Spanish municipality, capital of the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of the Basque Country. With a population of 353,187 , it is the largest city of its autonomous community and the tenth largest in Spain...

, Spain. Designed by architect Santiago Calatrava

Santiago Calatrava

Santiago Calatrava Valls is a Spanish architect, sculptor and structural engineer whose principal office is in Zürich, Switzerland. Classed now among the elite designers of the world, he has offices in Zürich, Paris, Valencia, and New York City....

, the bridge links the Campo Volantin right bank and Uribitarte left bank of the river.

Description

Opened in 1997, the bridge's unusual design consists of a curved walkway which is supported by steel suspension cables from an overhead arch. The structure of the bridge is painted white and the bridge deck consists of translucent glass bricks. Access ramps and stairways are located on both banks.

The Zubizuri offers pedestrians a convenient route from hotels to the nearby Bilbao Guggenheim Museum.

Published criticism

Since its opening, it has been subjected to praise as a symbol of the new Bilbao and as a draw for tourism. Architectural professor Alexander Tzonis wrote:

"The intelligence, vitality, and originality of the bridge's curved configuration challenged the ordinariness and slow decline of the urban setting, bringing a message of hope and an invitation to imagine better conditions."

However, other professionals have been more equivocal, bridge engineer Matthew Wells saying:

"Regrettably, the balance of light steel superstructpoure on the cantilevered abutment ends is strained, like a sculptural toy, and the bridge touches the ground uncomfortably."

History since opening

The bridge has also been accused of impracticality: it is locally infamous for the glass bricks set into its floor, which can become slippery in the wet climate of the city.

The original design connects the bridge on the left bank to the Uribitarte dock and not to the higher street Alameda Mazarredo.
Local authorities temporarily installed a further scaffolding

Scaffolding

Scaffolding is a temporary structure used to support people and material in the construction or repair of buildings and other large structures. It is usually a modular system of metal pipes or tubes, although it can be from other materials...

 footway joining the bridge and Mazarredo street, but removed it under protests from Calatrava.
In 2006, the local authorities authorized Arata Isozaki

Arata Isozaki

Arata Isozaki is a Japanese architect from Ōita. He graduated from the University of Tokyo in 1954. Isozaki worked under Kenzo Tange before establishing his own firm in 1963. He was awarded the RIBA Gold Medal in 1986.In 2005, Arata Isozaki founded the Italian branch of his office: Arata Isozaki &...

 to erect a new footway from the bridge to the construction site of the Isozaki Atea

Isozaki Atea

The Isozaki Atea twin towers, in Bilbao, Spain are the tallest residential buildings in the city and the Basque Country. The towers are tall and have 22 floors. The first two floors have a mixed-commercial usage, with the rest having residential usage...

 towers. Calatrava responded in 2007 by suing Bilbao for the moral rights to the integrity of his creation (a part of the intellectual property

Intellectual property

Intellectual property is a term referring to a number of distinct types of creations of the mind for which a set of exclusive rights are recognized—and the corresponding fields of law...

 under the Spanish copyright law

Spanish copyright law

Spanish copyright law governs copyright , that is the rightsof authors of literary, artistic or scientific works, in Spain. It wasfirst instituted by the Law of 10 January 1879, and, in its origins, was influenced by French copyright law...

), where a metal bar had been cut.
The mayor of Bilbao, Iñaki Azkuna

Iñaki Azkuna

Iñaki Azkuna Urreta is a Spanish politician of the Basque Nationalist Party. He is the present mayor of the city of Bilbao, Biscay in the Basque Country.-References:...

, with the support of his fellow councilors claimed that the rights of the owners (Bilbao) took precedence over the architect's rights. He also noted the slips and falls of bridge users, and the cost of replacing broken glass tiles (6,000 euros a year according to opposition speaker Antonio Basagoiti, 250,000 euros in ten years according to a municipal report).
Jurists and local architects have supported the position of the mayor, holding that the modifications do not affect Calatrava's rights.

In November 2007, a judge agreed that there was damage to the creator's moral rights but favored the local council and allowed Isozaki's connection to remain. Calatrava announced his intention to appeal against the decision.
In March 2009, a higher court granted 30,000 euros to Calatrava as damages.

External links

• Zubizuri on en.broer.no
• Google maps image of the footbridge showing the Guggenheim Bilbao Museum in the upper left corner. The bridge is on the lower right.
• Great buildings
• Alexander Tzonis Authorised website