修女岛上的达尔文大桥在历经60年的侵蚀和摧残后人行道逐渐收紧，给行人，自行车和婴儿车的交通带来不便，同时，在能见度有限的情况下，桥下的通道也开始积水。因此，蒙特利尔市将重建这一象征性的基础设施的任务托付给Provencher_Roy事务所，同时将设计进行规范性的提升。 Nearly 60 years old, the Darwin Bridges on Nuns’ Island had endured the ravages of time and erosion. In fact, the tightening of the sidewalks was beginning to cause discomfort for pedestrians, bicycles, and strollers alike; and the passage underneath the bridges was starting to accumulate puddles of water amidst limited visibility. Ville de Montréal therefore called upon Provencher_Roy to reconstruct this emblematic infrastructure, and simultaneously bring the design up to code.
修女岛上的达尔文大桥在历经60年的侵蚀和摧残后人行道逐渐收紧，给行人，自行车和婴儿车的交通带来不便，同时，在能见度有限的情况下，桥下的通道也开始积水。因此，蒙特利尔市将重建这一象征性的基础设施的任务托付给Provencher_Roy事务所，同时将设计进行规范性的提升。
Nearly 60 years old, the Darwin Bridges on Nuns’ Island had endured the ravages of time and erosion. In fact, the tightening of the sidewalks was beginning to cause discomfort for pedestrians, bicycles, and strollers alike; and the passage underneath the bridges was starting to accumulate puddles of water amidst limited visibility. Ville de Montréal therefore called upon Provencher_Roy to reconstruct this emblematic infrastructure, and simultaneously bring the design up to code.
达尔文大桥位于修女岛城市大道与步行道和自行车道的十字路口，是这种有序循环中的交汇点。项目经理Jacques Rousseau解释道：“这个概念一直存在，但当时的设计和施工标准更倾向于保护汽车，以使用波纹镀锌铁护栏来防止车辆坠落。因此，该项目的难点在于在考虑大桥20世纪六十年代的背景的基础上满足新时代的新需求，所以，我们的目标是开发一个能够解决这两个基本命题的方案，该解决方案需要增强建筑语言同时满足安全法规的规定。
The Darwin Bridges act as the meeting place of this ordered circulation, at the crossroads of a Nuns’ Island urban boulevard and pedestrian and cycling path. “The concept was always there, but the design and construction standards of the time favoured the automobile, with corrugated galvanized iron guardrails to prevent vehicles from falling. For this project, we were therefore working in a paradoxical 1960s context, on an innovative urban project to improve the user experience, while also contending with the formal urban treatments required for road transportation,” explains Jacques Rousseau, Project Manager. Our intention therefore reconciles these two rudimentary propositions in the development of a solution that at once enhances the architectural language and fulfills safety regulations.
从高速公路的角度看设计：通过流线型设计表达运动美感
用Jacques Rousseau的话来说，“这座城市被创造弯曲拱形模板的想法所吸引”，需要借助道路的弯曲来表达一种独特的语言。因此，决定取消波纹镀锌铁护栏，并整合了超过4米的安全间隙。由此产生的前卫设计优雅地表现了跨距37米大桥的运动感。
Seen from the highway: movement expressed through a streamlined design
In Jacques’ words, “the Ville was won over by the idea to create curved arch-like formwork,” following the curvature of the road to express a unique language. This esthetic decision eliminated corrugated galvanized iron guardrails and integrated a security clearance of over 4 metres. The resulting avant-garde design elegantly conveys a sense of movement spanning the full 37-metre bridges.
在两座桥之间挖出了一个中央隔离带。从高速公路开始，两个圆形拱门沿着斜坡向自行车道延伸，勾勒出人行横道的轮廓，该区域给景观设计创造了空间，桥梁之间战略性地放置的挡土墙，中间建造了一块植被露台。桥的外部装饰有镂空的半圆和花茎，营造出浮雕风格花朵的错觉，在夜幕降临时，在可持续的 LED灯的作用下，通道会被温暖的色调照亮。这种开放形的设计，加上桥下安全照明装置的集成，避免了隧道中的压抑情绪，给用户带来一种安全感。
Seen from the pathway: a soothing secret garden
Between the two bridges, the central median strip was opened up and dug out. Starting from the highway, two circular arches descend the slope towards the cycling path, delineating the pedestrian crossing enclave and revealing a landscape design opportunity manifested in strategically placed retaining walls between the bridges to create vegetated terrace levels, a nod to the nearby Parc de West-Vancouver. The exterior-facing sides of the bridges are adorned with hollowed-out half-circles and flower stems, creating the illusion of a low-relief of stylized flowers, while at nightfall, the pathway becomes illuminated with warm tones, thanks to sustainable LED lighting. This pleasant opening up of the space, along with the integration of safety lighting fixtures under the bridges, inspire safety amongst users and prevent tunnel sensations.
这座桥梁建设的巨大新颖之处在于前所未有的材料选择。桥梁采用现浇混凝土建造，其中含有 10% 的细磨再生玻璃。事实上，这个突破性的项目建立在与舍布鲁克大学和蒙特利尔市合作 17 年关于将磨砂玻璃集成到市政基础设施中的研究的基础上。这项 100%Québécois 专利 GGP 发明是全球首创，作为三元粘合剂添加，使该项目能够减少 40 吨温室气体排放，相当于汽车行驶 20 万公里的对环境产生的影响。水泥中的玻璃由 40,000 公斤当地回收的玻璃组成，相当于 70,000 个酒瓶。
Locally sourced and ecological material: ground glass pozzolan (GGP)
The great novelty of this bridge construction lies in the unprecedented materials choice. The bridges were built with cast-in-place concrete, composed of 10% finely ground recycled glass. In fact, this ground-breaking project builds upon 17 years of research on the integration of ground glass into civic infrastructures, in collaboration with the Université de Sherbrooke and Ville de Montréal. A world premiere, this 100% Québécois patented GGP invention was added as a ternary binder, enabling the project to make a direct environmental impact by reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 40 tonnes, the equivalent of driving 200,000 kilometres in a vehicle. The GGP used replaced the cement typically used, constituting 40,000 kilograms of locally recycled glass and representing 70,000 wine bottles.
建筑团队为桥梁开发了最白的 GGP，其特点是比传统骨料的原始颜色更少。由于添加了不锈钢棒来加固桥梁的使用寿命，桥梁的使用寿命估计超过 125 年，而典型混凝土结构的使用寿命为 75 年，因此更加坚固。该设计目前正在申请 ENVISION 环境认证（相当于 LEED 的城市基础设施认证）。
A Québécois technique for more sustainable urban infrastructures
The architectural team developed the whitest GGP possible for the bridges, characterized by a less raw colour than traditional aggregates. It is also much more solid, due to the addition of stainless steel bars to reinforce the lifespan of the bridges, estimated at over 125 years, compared to 75 years for a typical concrete structure. The design is currently a candidate for ENVISION environmental certification, the urban infrastructure equivalent of LEED.
复兴和改造城市遗产：Provencher_Roy事务所的专业性
Jacques 说道，“重要的是要认识到该项目的原始价值-为修女岛的住宅区，提供了一种创新的城市生活体验，同时解决了行人和汽车的分流问题。我们遵循当代逻辑，通过增强其建筑语言、物理应用和视觉吸引力，为20世纪60年代的理念注入新的生命。”。他总结道：“能够使用超越几代人的城市建筑语言是Provencher_Roy的独特优势之一，也是其主要资产之一。”。
Reviving and adapting urban heritage: Provencher_Roy’s expertise
“It’s important to recognize the original value of the project, a residential mandate on Nuns’ Island offering an innovative urban life experience addressing the pedestrian-automobile hierarchy. We were able to breathe new life into a beautiful idea from the 1960s, by enhancing its architectural language, physical application, and visual appeal – following a contemporary logic,” states Jacques. “The ability to employ an urban architectural language that transcends generations is among Provencher_Roy’s particular strengths, one of its main assets,” he concludes.
