The majority of city bridges, in the past, were typically inhabited and were blended with the surrounding housing style. This characteristic can be found in the historical Ponte Vecchio in Florence which survives unchanged with its direct connection between the bridge’s architecture and the river. The ‘Instant Bridge’ by Italian OFL Architecture was born from this idea combining a pedestrian bridge and making it a neighbourhood, whilst transforming the brick structure into a cultural building.
The Pigneto district in Rome had a notable evolution and transformation from a working-class neighbourhood to a cultural and artistic one. nevertheless there is a strong disjunction of these artistic scenes, limited to small existing shops; these elements make the district an artistic underdeveloped neighbourhood. The structure of the building is based around that of a dragonfly wing. Inside there are several functions distributed over 14 stories with a total height of 45 metres. These functions are reached by glass lifts located at the sides of the building and across an internal system of escalators.
Every level is planned for a different purpose with materials and colours which accentuate the spaces. The materials used are low cost and recyclable (e.g. non toxic paint). The steel structure is produced using recycled rails from disused railways. the main structure, the façade and the interior spatial elements merge into a single three-dimensional form. It is a very efficient and seismic proof structural system that requires 30% less steel than a structure consisting of pillars and beams. The orthotropic structure spans more than 15 meters and allows for natural daylight with carefully controlled natural ventilation systems.