Warsaw Karowa Bridge is a weathered-steel pedestrian and bicycle bridge over the Vistula River, connecting the city’s UNESCO World Heritage Old Town with the Praga District. The project is original in its combination of scale, plan form and programme, as well as its use of an asymmetric belt system for the main span. At 480 m long, Warsaw Karowa Bridge is estimated to be Europe’s longest urban pedestrian bridge.

Based on research into the belt-bridge structural system and the site’s spatial and programmatic needs, DKFS Architects created a tailored architectural form that is highly differentiated in experiential space and legibly reflects the structural flow of forces. The key architectural components are the asymmetric belt system on the east side of the structure, which informs the continuous elevation, and two platforms located over pillars that define the zigzag plan form and provide vistas towards the Old Town. At the time of writing, the project is in the execution design phase, having completed all necessary research and design by DKFS who secured the commission after winning an open international architecture competition in 2017.