MONUMENTAL TREE PROTECTION BY AN UNIQUE PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE

This paper describes the conceptual design, the structural analysis and the results of a viewpoint pedestrian bridge, situated in Daya Vieja (Alicante-Spain). This structure is designed to protect a land-mark palm-tree from wind loads. This six-trunk palm tree was declared monument by the Valencian government in 2012. The structure that now protect it appears to fly around de palm tree creating a helicoidally skywalk made of steel, while retrofitting the lateral trunks of the tree to protect them from collapse. An 18 m long straight beam starts on the top of this helix, and stretches towards a lookout point that offers a view of the whole village and its surroundings. The reduction of the visual impact of the structure on the tree was a major aim for the project design. The structural elements are as slender as possible to avoid the visual obstruction of tree. This structure has been a finalist in the Architecture Awards for the 2010-2014 best construction projects, held by the Diputacion of Alicante.