Rehabilitation of the Morobbia gangway

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The cycle path that flies over the Morobbia river in Giubiasco is an infrastructure that guarantees the continuity of the cycle path that connects Bellinzona to Locarno. The gangway is a 27.6 m long and 2.3 m high metal truss, owned by the Canton; it was built in 2000.Its original parapet was made up of 5 horizontal metal cables and a stainless steel tube with a circular section, laid 90 cm from the level of the walking surface.

This parapet did not comply anymore with safety laws and it was considered unsuitable even by the UPI (Accident Prevention Office).The project involved the rehabilitation and compliance of the walkway, removing the original handrail, metal cables and related fixings.

Safety was guaranteed with the insertion of triangular panels in colored laminated glass within the triangular spaces modeled by the geometry of the trellis. The glass panels are yellow and blue and are fixed with three clips, also triangular (one on each side of the triangle), the panels are spaced 10 cm from the metal profile of the trellis. The free space left between the existing structure and the glass pannels allows air circulation, avoiding overheating of the air inside the walkway; the free space between the glass and the structure also guarantees the passage of the wind, reducing its lateral thrust on the structure.

The yellow and blue colors were chosen for the effectiveness of their aesthetic effect and for the symbolic relationships they establish with the context: the blue color (triangle with base facing down) refers to the space below and to the water of the river Morobbia, the yellow color (triangle with the base facing up) refers to the space above and to the sunlight.

The transparency of the infills, the rhythmic juxtaposition of the two colors and the sequence of their reflections on the floor, characterize the moment of crossing the catwalk, adding aesthetic and emotional values to this kinetic and space-time experience.