Van Leesten Memorial Bridge

{"version":"0.3.0","atoms":[],"cards":[],"markups":[],"sections":[[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"In Providence, Rhode\nIsland, the Van Leesten Memorial Bridge connects five of the city\u2019s prominent\nneighborhoods and institutions by reimagining an abandoned span of highway\nI-195. Much more than a pedestrian connector, the bridge itself is a\ndestination, offering multiple programming modes that spur new connections and\nsocial interactions among the city\u2019s residents. A highly visual symbol of\nProvidence\u2019s renewal, the bridge embraces its responsibility of linking the\nWaterfront Park\u2019s east and west by forming a public environment that harmonizes\nurban and ecological spaces."]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"When it was constructed in\n1958, I-195 sundered Providence\u2019s cohesiveness, severing the city\u2019s downtown\ncore from several neighborhoods and its riverfront. Four decades later, the\ncity mandated the relocation of the highway in an effort to reactivate the\nsections of the city that had been marginalized. The resulting $610 million\nrelocation project was the largest undertaken by the Rhode Island Department of\nTransportation since the construction of the Interstate systems. Two new\nwaterfront parks, on the opposing banks of the Providence River, surfaced in\nthe wake of the relocation project. This project, built upon I-195\u2019s original\ngranite piers, unites them after an international design competition and a\ndecade-long design development process. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"The bridge\u2019s form draws\ndirectly on programming consideration, urban and natural views, and the\ncompelling dichotomy of Providence\u2019s history and future innovation. Timber\nconstruction, found across the 18th century\u2019s tall ships and the city\u2019s\n20th-century jewelry factories, characterizes Providence\u2019s heralded beauty. The\ndesign team, through computational design and digital fabrication, relied on\ntimber to capture the formal character of historical ships while also\ntransitioning into a contemporary solution. Granite and wood are synthesized\ninto programs that feel as fluid as they are substantial, incorporating a\nground plane that forms a seamless connection between both parks. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"Its alignment responds to\nfluid movement through Providence, and the circulation of pedestrians and\ncyclists was envisioned as a series of tentacles that gather and direct\ntravelers who arrive from differing regions. The east end splinters into multiple\ndirections, while the west end abuts a 4.5-acre park and burgeoning\ndevelopment. The bridge\u2019s programming helps magnify the connectivity of\nProvidence\u2019s residential districts and its commerce, tourism, and cultural\nopportunities. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"After extensive research,\nthe team determined that South American hardwood Ipe would be the most suitable\nchoice for the bridge\u2019s decking. Given its inherent resistance to rot and its\nextreme density, the material was the ideal solution for a high-traffic public\nenvironment and the bridge\u2019s anticipated 75-year lifespan. Wana, a wood\ncommonly used in boat building, wraps the bridge through 250 modular panels\nthat easily accommodate long-term maintenance and access to the bridge\u2019s steel\nsuperstructure. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"The bridge is named after\nMichael S. Van Leesten, a civil rights advocate, community leader, and lifelong\nProvidence resident. He was a founding member and CEO of the Opportunities\nIndustrialization Center of Rhode Island, which served African American and\nother minority communities through education and job training opportunities. In\nthe early 1960s, Van Leesten joined Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.\u2019s Southern\nChristian Leadership Conference efforts to bolster voter registration in the\nAmerican south and support the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The bridge now stands\nas a celebration of his life\u2019s work and uncanny ability to gather people to\nbuild community and shared cultural experiences. "]]]]}