Bridge of Sighs / Mei architecten

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  • Design Team: Robert Winkel, Menno van der Woude, Sander Geurtsen, Robert Platje, Pepijn Berghout, Karl Oscarson, Serkar Jaff, Michiel van Loon
  • Contractor: Glasimpex
  • Glass: Glasimpex
  • Façade Panels: Phoenix 3D metaal Eindhoven
  • Client: Van Stigt Thans Assurantiën, Schiedam, NL
  • City: Schiedam
  • Country: The Netherlands
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Bridge of Sighs / Mei architecten - Exterior Photography, Windows, Facade
© Jeroen Musch Photography

Text description provided by the architects. New connection between two listed monuments.

Van Stigt Thans occupies a refined and stylish listed building on Lange Nieuwstraat in Schiedam. In 2003 Mei architects and planners constructed a glazed addition on the ground floor to connect with an adjoining monumental warehouse bought by Van Stigt Thans.

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Floor Plan

Now that the top floor of both buildings will be used for residential purposes, Van Stigt Thans has asked Mei to construct a second connecting bridge. This is a complex challenge owing to the difficulty of bridging the height difference, the demands that come with working on a listed structure, and the need for privacy. The design proposal was immediately enthusiastically received by the municipal design review committee for new building permits and monuments, precisely because Mei articulated its addition as a new time layer. Mei succeeded in strengthening the value of both buildings by respecting and preserving their existing character.

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© Jeroen Musch Photography

The solution found by Mei did not involve repeating the glazed connection. Instead, it proposes a white ‘cloud’. The new bridge, a self-supporting structure of steel and glass, is faced in white perforated steel panels. Refined, abstract 3D motifs that refer to the original cast-iron ornaments of the balconies of the listed building are incorporated into the panels by means of rubber presses. To ensure the privacy of occupants, what happens inside cannot be seen from outside, but occupants do enjoy views out of the building.

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Diagram

The design is measured by means of a point cloud and then the 3D-BIM model is elaborated on this scanned base layer. The bridge is reversible to allow future owners to remove it if desired. The warehouse can also be restored to its original condition because the openings made in the facade for the bridge have the same proportions as the original window frames.

Bridge of Sighs / Mei architecten - Exterior Photography, Windows, Facade
© Jeroen Musch Photography
Bridge of Sighs / Mei architecten - Image 11 of 11
Diagram

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Project location

Address:Lange Nieuwstraat 101, 3111 AE Schiedam, Netherlands

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Location to be used only as a reference. It could indicate city/country but not exact address.
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Cite: "Bridge of Sighs / Mei architecten" 04 Apr 2015. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/613035/bridge-of-sighs-mei-architecten> ISSN 0719-8884

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