Opening footbridge station Vannes (FR)

Last week the footbridge crossing the railway at the station of Vannes was officially opened. The project is a true multimodal transport hub creating an urban link between different neighbourhoods. The footbridge, located roughly on an axis running from Rue des Quatre Frères Creach to Rue Nomeny, crosses the railway tracks perpendicularly over a total length of 60 m. On either side of the footbridge, the passengers with reduced mobility, pedestrian and cyclist links are integrated into a large “rotunda”. Both are materialised in three distinct elements forming a radial composition: a central lift, a semi-circular staircase and a spiral ramp. This is the most compact organisation possible, allowing direct access between the urban space and the footbridge, protected from the weather. This circular and central composition gives an exceptional spatial quality to the whole with the lift as the focal point. Rising to 13.8 m, it becomes a beacon of light at night, a strong element of appeal in the new Vannes station area. Ney & Partners was responsible for the architectural and structural design.