A MOBILE BRIDGE

Venice as a city has outgrown its borders and is rapidly being abandoned. An island completely isolated needs to be constantly revitalised through an active connection to the main land. The idea is to connect Venice to the land around, with something more than a static transportation connection, but with activities that will involve citizens from both the main land and the island. The Island ceases to be an isolated phenomenon, but will be an active participant in the present.

How to do this is the question.

The idea is to create a mobile market that will start in San Giuliano Park in Mestre and will end in the centre of Venice at Sestiere Canareggio, going parallel to the already existing bridge. Mobile is part of the definition of a market itself. It is something that is constantly moving and adapting. The bridge will create a connection through a series of joined boats and docks to form a 3.5 km long path.

The main structure is made up of a module of two 24m long boats held parallel to one another by a wooden platform of 2.4m wide. This module is repeated across the lagoon. The bridge will need 120 units to complete the connection between Venice and Mestre. Inside the two boats there will be a series of shops, through which the pedestrian walkway runs.

Each ship will be made using restored vaporettos, into which a drawbridge will be constructed. Once opened the bridges will create the pedestrian walkway that connects the two boats. The units will be connected together by a long, continuous passage that will be interrupted by docks, anchoring the structure. There will be four docks of 150m long every kilometre, one at the beginning, two in the middle and one at the end. These docks will create the open space dedicated to various activities and entertainment like theatres, parks, exhibition pavilions, bars, concerts etc…

The units will be provided by the Venetian municipality, that will sponsor them and rent them to citizens, farmers and artisans, or whoever wants to participate to the market. The docks also provide the opportunity and the space for the locals who own boats to sell directly there. It is important to say that the market will not be there every day. So the bridge will not permanently connect the two hearts of the city. The market will usually be there on Thursday and Saturday morning or as per any events happening in the city. The boats will be rented the rest of the week for tourism, to go around the lagoon and explore it in a cheaper way.

At the beginning the municipality will provide 25% of boats to rent, as well as building the public docks. If the project is successful other boats will be added to complete the bridge. By the end no boats should be missing so the connection is complete, there must always be a substitute ready in the event that one is missing. If the market is successful it will be a big economical improvement, creating money for both the city and its citizens. Whoever will want to restore a vaporetto, will get it for a very low cost, with the assurance that he will repair it and maybe rent it for the market itself.

This market wants to be the recall of those memories of something typical, romantic that will gather round harmony and chaos. The sounds you will perceive are the screams of merchants, people bargaining frantically and fighting over the last piece of doughnut left. The bridge will improve the social and economical future of both Venice and Mestre. It will blend its citizens together. It is the vision of the past we want to save, slow and vibrant, colourful and free.