This new walkway offers access to the most emblematic monument in Geneva: the Jet d'Eau. The focus of the project was accessibility: boats, walkers and people with reduced mobility were all accounted for in the design. Everybody is welcome at this bold new public space.
The new mobile walkway of Geneva’s Jet d’Eau is a unique piece of structural engineering. The bridge spans over 12m, and is capable of transforming from a low flat deck to a 2m high series of stairs, allowing boats to pass underneath. The bridge is a part of a new pedestrian walkway expansion that provides better access to the iconic Geneva water fountain at the end of the existing stone pier.
Ingenious scissor truss mechanisms made from stainless steel plate are driven upwards by pistons at each end, causing the structure to rise like a wave and let boat traffic pass underneath, without interrupting the flow of pedestrian traffic. This truly novel accessibility solution is a testament to creative structural engineering.