
GORSA BRIDGE, SABETJOHK
The County of Kåfjord took the initiative, in connection with an increased focus on tourism, to set up a new pedestrian bridge over the Gorsa canyon (Northern Europe’s deepest canyon) where the rivers Guolasjohka and Magerelva meet in a spectacular waterfall. The bridge completes the hiking-paths that take visitors around the remains of an old mining site; this new structure performs as a panoramic viewing deck and bungee-jump base point.
Status:
Completed 2011
Client:
Kåfjord Municipality
Project group:
Bitschau Gmbh, Dipl-ing- Florian Kosche, Ghilardi+Hellsten Arkitekter
Location:
Kåfjord, Norway
Plan/size:
3800 kg
Consultants:
RIB Florian Kosche
Typology:
Tourism, infrastructure
Photography:
Leo Thomas, Daniel Taipale, Ørjan Bertelsen, Jan R. Olsen,
Florian Kosche, Ghilardi+Hellsten

The design-build conditions such as the site complex accessibility, limited building budget, fast-track schedule and unstable weather conditions, gave little or no tolerance for mistake or correction due to unforeseen variables during the process. In fact, such a process was never attempted before, and it almost failed completely in its most critical moment: the helicopter lift.
The 150m deep and narrow canyon makes it an incredible place for bungee jumping, an activity carried out already on the opening day.




The main structure was engineered in light weight aluminum pipes to be assembled in one piece, on flat ground, some kilometers away from the actual site; then transported and placed over the waterfall airborne. This process imposed a maximum 4 tons weight limit for the 53m span The bridge was realized with a unique collaboration between engineer, contractor and architect from start to end.
Construction
Completed:
2011





Gathering of the bridge after the components where delivered kilometres away thom the canyon, then transported by helicopter to the site.

Design process
Completed:
2010

Design studies were important to optimize the structure, reduce weight, reduce cost and make the structure beautiful.
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