Zubizuri Facts for Kids

River Nervion with Zubizuri Footbridge from Uribitarte.

View from the opposite shore.

View by night

The Zubizuri bridge is a special footbridge in Bilbao, Spain. Its name means "white bridge" in the Basque language. People also call it the Campo Volantin Bridge or Puente del Campo Volantin. It crosses the Nervion River and connects two parts of the city: the Campo Volantin area and the Uribitarte area. A famous architect named Santiago Calatrava designed this unique bridge.

What Does the Zubizuri Bridge Look Like?
Why Is the Zubizuri Bridge Special?
- Praise for Its Design
- Challenges and Changes
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What Does the Zubizuri Bridge Look Like?

The Zubizuri bridge opened in 1997. It has a very interesting design. The walkway is curved, and strong steel cables hang down from a big arch above. These cables hold up the bridge. The whole bridge structure is painted white, making it look very bright. The part you walk on is made of clear glass bricks. You can find ramps and stairs on both sides of the river to get onto the bridge. The Zubizuri bridge makes it easy for people to walk from hotels to the famous Bilbao Guggenheim Museum nearby.

Why Is the Zubizuri Bridge Special?

Praise for Its Design

Since it opened, many people have admired the Zubizuri bridge. They see it as a symbol of the new and modern Bilbao. It also helps bring many tourists to the city. An architecture expert named Alexander Tzonis once wrote that the bridge's curved shape was smart and full of life. He felt it brought hope and new ideas to the city.

Challenges and Changes

However, some people, like bridge engineer Matthew Wells, thought the bridge looked a bit unbalanced. They felt it didn't quite connect smoothly with the ground.

The bridge has also faced some practical problems. The glass bricks on the walkway can become very slippery when it rains. Bilbao often has wet weather, so people have sometimes slipped and fallen. Replacing these broken glass tiles has also cost the city money over the years.

Originally, the bridge connected to the Uribitarte dock on one side, not directly to the higher street called Alameda Mazarredo. For a short time, city workers added a temporary walkway to connect the bridge to Mazarredo street. But the architect, Calatrava, did not like this change, and it was later removed.

Isozaki footway, installed next to Zubizuri.

The bridge from below.

In 2006, the city allowed another architect, Arata Isozaki, to build a new walkway. This new path connected the Zubizuri bridge to the Isozaki Atea towers, which were being built. Calatrava was unhappy about this. In 2007, he sued the city of Bilbao. He said that cutting a metal bar to make the new connection damaged his "moral rights" as the creator of the bridge. These rights protect an artist's original work.

The mayor of Bilbao, Iñaki Azkuna, and other city officials disagreed. They said that the city, as the owner of the bridge, had the right to make changes. The mayor also pointed out the problem with people slipping on the glass and the cost of replacing the broken tiles. Many legal experts and local architects supported the mayor's view, saying the changes did not harm Calatrava's rights.

In November 2007, a judge agreed that Calatrava's moral rights were affected, but the judge still allowed Isozaki's connection to stay. Calatrava decided to appeal this decision. In March 2009, a higher court ruled that Calatrava should receive 30,000 euros for the damages to his rights.