dans arhitekti Arches a Timber Footbridge over the Protected Rinža River in Kočevje

Small bridges rarely get much attention, and that makes them good tests of an architect's discipline. In Kočevje, Slovenia, dans arhitekti replaced a worn-out footbridge at the Gaj Sports Park, just before the Rinža River enters the town centre. The new crossing is a single timber curve 37.8 metres long. It serves pedestrians and cyclists, and it was completed in 2024 on a deck area of 165 m².

The interesting part is not that the bridge is made of wood. It is how far the wood is made to do the work. Two arched glulam beams carry the structure and also act as the railings, so the primary structure becomes the thing your hand rests on. The site sits within a Natura 2000 protected area, and the architects were not allowed to touch the riverbanks. That rule forced the team to reshape and reuse the old concrete foundations rather than pour new ones. The result is a bridge designed around constraints instead of in spite of them.

A Single Curve Drawn by the Flood Line

From above, the bridge reads as one confident stroke across green water. Its profile was not chosen for looks. The curve had to clear the height of the 100-year flood, and its slope had to be gentler than the old bridge's so cyclists could ride over it comfortably. A gentler slope reaching the same clearance needs more length, which is why the new crossing is longer than the one it replaced.

We think that is the right order of operations. The arch is the product of hydrology and gradient, not an expressive gesture applied afterwards. The main span between the intermediate supports measures 23.3 metres, and the 1.6-metre beam depth stays visually slim against the reeds and autumn trees on both banks.

Shingled Flanks Built to Be Replaced

The outer faces of the main beams are covered in overlapping rounded timber shingles. The texture catches leaf shadows and reflects in the still water, but the cladding is mainly protective. Glulam left exposed to rain and sun weathers quickly. Here the shingles take that weathering so the structural timber does not have to.

The cladding is also designed to be replaced. That is a mature way to think about timber infrastructure. The sacrificial layer is admitted up front and treated as maintenance, so the bridge does not pretend to be maintenance-free. At the abutments, the shingles stop just above a concrete footing and gravel, which keeps end grain off the ground and away from standing water.

When the Beam Becomes the Railing

On the deck, you walk between two continuous walls of vertical timber planks that rise to a railing height of 1.25 metres. Those walls are the inner faces of the main beams, so the structure encloses the crossing. The clear width of 3.5 metres gives cyclists and walkers room to pass each other, which the old bridge could no longer manage safely.

The oak deck boards sit on spruce glulam secondary beams placed every metre. The deck stays plain on purpose, and the parapets do the work of framing views of the water and trees. Steel bollards at the approaches and the white concrete abutments are the only signs of the municipal path network the bridge belongs to.

Underneath: Old Foundations, New Timber

Seen from below, the logic of the structure is easy to follow. Glulam crossbeams run between the two main beams at roughly 2.6-metre intervals. They are fixed with steel shoes bolted to the beams through anchor plates. Steel appears only at the joints, where it is actually needed, and the rest of the frame is timber.

The bridge rests on two intermediate supports and on bearings at each bank. The intermediate supports are the old foundations, reshaped for the new loads. Reusing them meant no new excavation in a protected riverbed full of water lilies. It is a quiet piece of environmental restraint, and you would never notice it unless someone told you.

Assembled, Then Lowered into Place

The construction photographs show the layered detailing that the finished bridge hides: bolted steel plates, a black waterproofing membrane, and slatted cladding fixed over it. The bridge was then lifted into position by a mobile crane in one piece, already clad, and set onto its supports above the lily pads.

Lifting the bridge in from above fits the brief of minimal disturbance. Assembly happened away from the water's edge, and the riverbanks were spared the temporary works a conventional build would have required.

Plans and Drawings

The site plan places the bridge as the link between two banks ringed by tree canopies. The design team described the position as defined by three elements: the river, the two banks, and the path across. The plan and section show how the arch rises over the flood level and lands gently on either side. The construction section is the most revealing drawing. It lays out the full sequence of cladding, membrane, ventilated cavity, deck beams and steel connections, which explains how the timber is kept dry and how the outer layer can be removed without disturbing the structure.

Why This Project Matters

Most small municipal bridges end up as off-the-shelf steel or concrete products. This one shows that a modest budget and a strict environmental brief can still produce a crossing with clear structural thinking. It reuses existing foundations, sets its form from flood data and cycling gradients, and lets the main beams serve as structure, enclosure and railing at once. Each decision does more than one job.

The replaceable shingle cladding is the takeaway we would hand to other designers working in timber. It accepts that wood weathers and plans for that from the start, which is how timber infrastructure earns a long life. In Kočevje the result is a bridge that people will register as a landmark of the sports park, while the river beneath it is left almost exactly as it was.

The Pedestrian Bridge across the River Rinža by dans arhitekti, Kočevje, Slovenia. Area: 165 m². Completed 2024. Photography by Miran Kambic.

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