Folio Bridge / FAR WORKSHOP

Architects: FAR WORKSHOP
Year: 2024
Photographs: FAR WORKSHOP, Biosphere
Lead Architects: Mangyuan Wang
Architects: Mangyuan Wang, Yang Yang, Rui Li
Structure Designer: Zhun Zhang, Chongchong Zhang, Xiaojie Hu
Project Planning: urbaneer
Design Management: ConCom
City: Huzhou
Country: China

Folio Bridge by FAR WORKSHOP, a winner of the 2022 Seven Bridges International Competition, spans 15.825 meters in Fuxian, Moganshan. Inspired by a folded A4 sheet, its single-crease design ensures structural integrity while maintaining lightness. In collaboration with Zhang Zhun’s Structural Research Institute, the form was refined for optimal force distribution. Due to its steep slope, a slender stepping path resembling a mountain trail was added, using high-strength threaded steel bars for support, steps, and handrails. Constructed from manually bent and welded steel plates, the bridge underwent a load test before use. The design transforms a thin steel sheet into a solid form, creating a visual and structural contrast that redefines bridge design.

Folio Bridge is one of the seven bridges in Fuxian, Moganshan. FAR WORKSHOP won two pedestrian bridge projects in the 2022 Seven Bridges International Competition, with Folio Bridge being one of them.

Inspired by a Sheet of Paper: Folio Bridge was conceived from the idea of an A4 sheet of paper, exploring how a single crease can provide mechanical strength while maintaining its light and delicate nature. After testing various folding possibilities, the design was refined to achieve the bridge span with just one crease. During the modeling process, the bridge form was determined by aligning three construction curves and one construction point to the crease. In collaboration with Zhang Zhun’s Structural Research Institute, the curvature and positioning were repeatedly adjusted to ensure optimal force distribution.

Inspired by a Mountain: Due to the steep slope of the finalized bridge design, direct pedestrian access to the surface was not feasible. Instead, the bulging bridge form evoked the image of the mountain to the west, leading to the idea of a slender stepping path that mimics a mountain trail. This path, placed on the bridge surface, maintains the contrast of a structure as massive as a mountain yet as thin as paper. To minimize the visual impact of the stepping path, high-strength threaded steel bars were used as the sole material, ensuring seamless integration from support to step and handrail.

Construction: Folio Bridge spans 15.825 meters and features complex curves, requiring the construction team to first create a positioning frame based on the design section. The bridge body was divided into multiple steel plates with varying curvatures, which were manually bent and adjusted using a press machine before being spatially positioned and welded within the pre-made frame. The threaded steel bar path was installed afterward. Due to the bridge’s unique structural characteristics, an on-site load test was conducted before public use. The design metaphorically transforms a thin sheet of paper into a massive mountain, while the bent steel bars form mountain paths, creating a contrast between lightness and solidity. This extreme structural approach generates a distinctive spatial experience, prompting visitors to engage with the bridge’s unique form and perception.