New urban bridge as a socially responsible public space

Abstract

<jats:p><p>New governmentally financed project “Skopje 2014” with intention to “re-establish” the identity of the nation through development of infrastructure and architecture in Baroque style has substantially changed the urban, social, political and ethical context of the central area of the city.</p><p>The aim of our work is to present an open approach of form finding process as a result of interaction of functional, engineering and social issues that is in contrast with fixed and predetermined typology proposed by government. Our new pedestrian bridge on river Vardar in the centre of the city creates new urban landscapes acting as a social attractor and urban infrastructure. Its geometry and structure is a result of formal and functional concept generated as a complex emergent property of the topologically based system expressing high level of social responsibility of design and ethical and esthetical approach to complex engineering challenges in urban areas.</p></jats:p>