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Passerelle Zwolle
Passerelle Zwolle
Zwolle, Netherlands
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Passerelle Zwolle
Zwolle, Netherlands
Firm
STATUS
Built
YEAR
2025
SIZE
1000 sqft - 3000 sqft
BUDGET
Undisclosed
With the opening of the Passerelle in 2025, the city of Zwolle gains not just a new bridge, but a new urban backbone. Where the railway once divided the historic city centre from the southern neighbourhoods, a natural, pleasant connection now brings the city together again.
The footbridge is the result of an intensive design process in which Karres en Brands worked with the municipality of Zwolle from 2017 onwards to develop a comprehensive vision for the railway zone. The focus extended beyond infrastructure to the city itself: restoring urban continuity, strengthening pedestrian and cycling routes, and adding public spaces around the station. Within the station square diverse interventions, including a bicycle basement, bus bridge, and the redevelopment of the Stationsquare and several other public spaces — are unified in a single spatial framework. The railway zone is thus transformed from a peripheral area into a new urban centre.
The railway zone functions as an “intermediate landscape” where mobility, urban development and landscape converge. The station area’s redevelopment drives broader transformation, with ambitions in urbanisation, mobility, climate adaptation and energy transition. The Passerelle plays a key role by extending the station street over the tracks, creating a clear link between old and new Zwolle. This improves accessibility and strengthens social cohesion by connecting southern neighbourhoods with amenities, employment and urban life.
Rather than a purely technical solution, the Passerelle is designed as an elevated urban space. The concept of the “raised street” forms its core: not a direct A–B route, but a sequence of spaces encouraging movement and pause. Its S-shape slows the crossing and gradually reveals views over the city and railway. Midway, the bridge widens into a gathering space; on the south side, it becomes a green viewing platform linked to the station park.
The Passerelle acts as a catalyst in the sustainable development of the station area, integrating biodiversity, climate adaptation, mobility, inclusivity and circularity. This approach is reflected in both design and construction. The bridge uses laminated girders of European softwood supported by black steel portals, creating a clear structure. At 130 metres, it is the longest pedestrian bridge in Europe made of European softwood. It stores around 1,300 tonnes of CO2 and reduces emissions by 74% compared to a steel alternative, demonstrating bio-based construction at infrastructural scale. Wood and steel reference the railway’s industrial context while forming a contemporary aesthetic.
What distinguishes the Passerelle is the integration of ecology and use, where vegetation, water and soil are integral. A visible water system supports plant life and biodiversity, while timber adds warmth and tactility. Users not only move across the bridge but experience seasonal change. Designed as an inclusive public space, it offers guidance, seating and clear routing to ensure accessibility and social safety.
The Passerelle shows how infrastructure can become an urban catalyst. By linking mobility, spatial quality and ecology, it introduces a typology in which infrastructure connects rather than divides, marking the start of a long-term transformation and inviting people to experience the city anew.
The footbridge is the result of an intensive design process in which Karres en Brands worked with the municipality of Zwolle from 2017 onwards to develop a comprehensive vision for the railway zone. The focus extended beyond infrastructure to the city itself: restoring urban continuity, strengthening pedestrian and cycling routes, and adding public spaces around the station. Within the station square diverse interventions, including a bicycle basement, bus bridge, and the redevelopment of the Stationsquare and several other public spaces — are unified in a single spatial framework. The railway zone is thus transformed from a peripheral area into a new urban centre.
The railway zone functions as an “intermediate landscape” where mobility, urban development and landscape converge. The station area’s redevelopment drives broader transformation, with ambitions in urbanisation, mobility, climate adaptation and energy transition. The Passerelle plays a key role by extending the station street over the tracks, creating a clear link between old and new Zwolle. This improves accessibility and strengthens social cohesion by connecting southern neighbourhoods with amenities, employment and urban life.
Rather than a purely technical solution, the Passerelle is designed as an elevated urban space. The concept of the “raised street” forms its core: not a direct A–B route, but a sequence of spaces encouraging movement and pause. Its S-shape slows the crossing and gradually reveals views over the city and railway. Midway, the bridge widens into a gathering space; on the south side, it becomes a green viewing platform linked to the station park.
The Passerelle acts as a catalyst in the sustainable development of the station area, integrating biodiversity, climate adaptation, mobility, inclusivity and circularity. This approach is reflected in both design and construction. The bridge uses laminated girders of European softwood supported by black steel portals, creating a clear structure. At 130 metres, it is the longest pedestrian bridge in Europe made of European softwood. It stores around 1,300 tonnes of CO2 and reduces emissions by 74% compared to a steel alternative, demonstrating bio-based construction at infrastructural scale. Wood and steel reference the railway’s industrial context while forming a contemporary aesthetic.
What distinguishes the Passerelle is the integration of ecology and use, where vegetation, water and soil are integral. A visible water system supports plant life and biodiversity, while timber adds warmth and tactility. Users not only move across the bridge but experience seasonal change. Designed as an inclusive public space, it offers guidance, seating and clear routing to ensure accessibility and social safety.
The Passerelle shows how infrastructure can become an urban catalyst. By linking mobility, spatial quality and ecology, it introduces a typology in which infrastructure connects rather than divides, marking the start of a long-term transformation and inviting people to experience the city anew.
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