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Final weekend to visit the Striatus bridge in Venice

Exhibited at the Giardini della Marinaressa during the Venice Architecture Biennale until 21 November 2021, Striatus has been developed by the Block Research Group (BRG) at ETH Zurich and Zaha Hadid Architects Computation and Design Group (ZHACODE), in collaboration with incremental3D (in3D) and made possible by Holcim.

Striatus is an arched masonry footbridge composed of 3D-printed concrete blocks assembled without mortar or reinforcement. The 16 x 12 metre footbridge is the first of its kind, combining traditional techniques of master builders with advanced computational design, engineering and robotic manufacturing technologies.

Proposing a new language for concrete that is structurally informed, fabrication aware, ecologically responsible and precisely placed to build more with less, Striatus optimises the properties of masonry structures, 3D concrete printing (3DCP) and contemporary design; presenting an alternative to traditional concrete construction.

The name “Striatus” reflects its structural logic and fabrication process. Concrete is precisely printed in layers orthogonal to the main structural forces to create a “striated” compression-only structure that requires no mortar or reinforcement. 

Using a special concrete ink developed by Holcim, this method of 3D concrete printing combines the principles of traditional vaulted construction with digital concrete fabrication to use material only where it is structurally necessary and eliminate waste.

As the construction does not need mortar, the blocks can be dismantled, and the bridge reassembled at different location. If the construction is no longer needed, the materials can simply be separated and recycled.

Striatus Bridge at the European Cultural Centre’s ‘Time Space Existance’ exhibition, Giardini della Marinaressa, Venice, Italy

Striatus bridge

Photograph by Naaro