Pont Kennedy, Strasbourg
N 48° 35.201 E 007° 45.710
32U E 408691 N 5382250
Intended to allow a better connection between the harbour and the railway station, this Art Nouveau style bridge, with a 30m span, has been built over the river Ill in 1906 by Fritz Beblo.
Waymark Code: WM201Z
Location: Grand-Est, France
Date Posted: 08/12/2007
Views: 53
More than just a engineer's work, it is a genuine architectural ensemble. For instance, each parapet ends with a base supporting a monumental sculpture. One of them is continued by a circular bench, giving a soft transition between the bridge and the perpendicular road. The parapets, made with Lutzelbourg's sandstone, present a frieze with fishes on the riverside. The roadside is decorated with a wavy pattern trim, the latter showing the influnce of the School of Darmstadt.
But of most interest are the statues that keep watch over the bridge entrances. They were the object of a competition won by Alfred Marzolff. These sculptures symbolize the river activities: a shoveller, a river barge hauler, and two fishers: one of them casting his net, the other one drawing it. Erected in what was once the wealthiest town district (the so called Millionärsviertel i. e. the millionaires' district), these sculptures caused a little scandal because of the characters they are depicting. If, according to some, these works are influenced by the Belgian Constantin Meunier, others didn't hesitate to compare them to Rodin.
The tourist boat ride of Strasbourg will take you underneath this bridge.
Physical Location (city, county, etc.): Strasbourg
Road, Highway, Street, etc.: Avenue D'Alsace
Water or other terrain spanned: Ill river
Architect/Builder: Fritz Beblo
Construction Date: 1907
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