A glass bridge that sutures and reimagines Kansas City’s racial divide.
View MoreLessCollaboration with artist Derek Porter. Troost Bridge is located at the intersection of Troost Avenue and Brush Creek along the historic, and persisting, segregation line of Kansas City. Troost Avenue has seen both devastating poverty and incredible wealth, once rivaling downtown as the primary hub for commerce. As a result of its actionable disrepair, a new bridge was planned in conjunction with the Brush Creek Flood Control and Beautification Project. Both elegant and utilitarian, this project aimed to reanimate some of Troost Avenue’s former glory while embracing its specific and diverse cultures. Ten-feet-tall glass panels line the span of the bridge acting as an invisible guardrail. LED lighting concealed in a concrete barrier between pedestrians and vehicles illuminates the panels at night. The barrier also holds a series of stainless steel panels that fold and billow, activating artificial and natural light.
- 2012
- Architect, Fabricator
- Kansas City, MO
- 152’ x 90’ x 9’; 13,651 SF
Client
- City of KCMO
Eldo Team
- David Dowell
- Chris Burk
Artist
- Derek Porter
Collaborators
- Contractor: Pyramid Contractors
- Bridge Contractor: Mark Holmes
- Railings Contractor: W Carter & Associates
- Barrier Contractor: Zahner
- Bridge Engineer: HNTB
- Structural Engineer: Genesis Structures
Awards
- 2013 Illuminating Engineering Society - Merit Award
- 2013 AZURE Magazine - AZ Award for Landscape Architecture, Finalist
- 2012 Interior Design Magazine - Best of Year Award
- 2012 ARCHITECT Magazine Annual Design Review - Move Award
- 2012 AIA Kansas City Design Excellence Awards - Merit Award
- 2012 AIA Central States Region Design Awards - Honor Award
Press
- Azure Magazine, David Dick-Agnew, “AZ Awards: The Best of Arch and Design”, 2013
- ArchDaily, Alison Furuto, “2012 AIA Central States Design Award Winners”, 2012
- ARCHITECT Magazine, Katie Gerfen, “2012 Annual Design Review, Move Category, Award: Troost Bridge”, 2013
- Interior Design Magazine, Craig Kellogg, “2012 Best of Year Awards: Projects”, 2012
- METROPOLIS, Site Staff, “Building Bridges”, 2012
- Kansas City Star, Steve Paul, “Design Awards”, 2012
- Roads and Bridges, Wayne Feuerborn, “Wall Now A Flower”, 2012
- Omaha World-Herald, “AIA Nebraska Honors Excellence in Design Winners”, 2012
- Kansas City Star, Matt Campbell, “Pivotal Piece of Brush Creek Improvements Poised to Begin”, 2009
- Kansas City Star, Matt Campbell, “Troost Span Proposal Takes A Sleek Shape”, 2007
- The Brush Breek Bulletin, “Prospect Bridge Opened in October”, 2004
Photography
- Mike Sinclair
