A New Footbridge in Valletta Grand Harbour to Fill A Geometric and Historic Gap, Malta

AbstractThe St. Elmo breakwater was constructed in the first decade of the twentieth century to convert the unique Valletta Grand Harbour to an all-weather port. An opening near its land end was retained to prevent water stagnation and shorten the distance to the adjacent harbour for smaller craft. Accessibility to the breakwater was guaranteed by a two-span steel footbridge, which was partly demolished during World War II. The breakwater and the lighthouse remained isolated for more than 70 years, accessible only by boat. The bridge presented in this paper was selected from more than 20 entries to a design-and-build competition for the creation of a new crossing. The footbridge uses an innovative design concept to successfully solve a complex problem: the reconstruction of a part of Valletta’s history in harsh environmental conditions and exceptional construction constraints caused by site inaccessibility. The new design is functional, contemporary, transparent and durable, its maintenance is easy and it...