There are two main goals of Fragmented: to branch off the remnants of the Reading Viaduct and span across Interstate 676 in Philadelphia and to reconnect the Callowhill and Chinatown neighborhoods. Currently, there are plans to transform the Viaduct into park space. The Viaduct had previously been used to connect trains to Reading Terminal, which today is the Philadelphia Convention Center. The design of the bridge reflects the noise and chaos of Interstate 676 below through the use of fragmented steel forms and sporadically placed triangular perforated aluminum panels, their shape detemined by the structure. Programmatically, the primary space is a museum with displays on railroad history. There are also offices, a cafe, and a gift shop along the span.
Site plan of the viaduct and the surrounding context
During the day, the aluminum panels are bright and the openings are dark (above), while at night, the panels are dark and interior light shines through the openings (below).
View into the interior space of the bridge from the Viaduct side entrance
Interior view of the exhibition space with offices suspended above
Basswood and chipboard model, focused on the interior space above Interstate 676
Top view of basswood and chipboard model, highlighting the placement of the triangular panels
Final board submitted for the competition
