OMA, together with Philadelphia-based landscape architects OLIN, structural engineers WRA and other members, have completed preliminary plans for the 11th Street Bridge Park in Washington, D.C. and the plans have received approval from the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) at the beginning of April. 

Announced on OMA's website, the firm said "the Bridge Park also received positive feedback from the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts and is planning a presentation to the full Commission this Fall."

Image © OMA and Luxigon 

The team won an international design competition together with landscape architects OLIN in 2014 and OMA has been working with the District Department of Transportation, non-profit Building Bridges Across the River as well as multiple agencies and stakeholders to develop and improve the bridge design.

Image © OMA and Luxigon

Named 11th Street Bridge Park, the new interlocking bridge will connect two historically disparate sides of the river with a series of programmed spaces, landscapes and active zones that provide an engaging place hovering above, yet anchored in, the Anacostia River. 

Image © OMA and Luxigon

It is both an elevated thoroughfare and a destination, a clear moment of intersection where two sides of the river converge and coexist. The Bridge offers layers of programs, presenting a new neighborhood park for the community, an after-hours destination for the nearby workforce, a retreat for residents and a new territory for tourists to explore.

The team used large paths from each side of the river which they will operate as springboards—sloped ramps that elevate visitors to maximized look out points to landmarks in either direction. 

Image © OMA and Luxigon

Extending over the river, the Anacostia paths join to form a loop, embracing the path from the Navy Yard side and linking the opposing banks in a single gesture. The resulting form of the bridge creates an iconic encounter, an "X" instantly recognizable as a new image for the river.

"At a time when we are paradoxically isolated from one another but united in a common cause, public spaces that we all share and that benefit health have become more important than ever. Our work has focused on creating a new civic space that engages with the Anacostia River and refining the program for the park to ensure it will be a place for everyone in DC," said Jason Long, OMA Partner. 

Image © OMA and Luxigon

The press release also stated that "OMA has continued its collaboration with OLIN under the leadership of partner Hallie Boyce as they refine the program spaces as well as materiality and landscape design across the Bridge Park." 

Image © OMA and Luxigon

"OMA and OLIN have also been working closely with structural engineers WRA and Delon Hampton to advance the bridge structure and design. Key stakeholders such as the Anacostia Watershed Society have worked together with the design team to refine the design of the major programmatic spaces at the Bridge Park, including the Exelon Environmental Education Center."

"This project would not have been possible without the efforts of key stakeholders and the community," said Yusef Ali Dennis, OMA Associate. 

"Their comments and feedback truly shaped the bridge, from its overall design to its specific programs and features. It’s only fitting that a project of this size and importance has required such broad cooperation and collaboration."

Image © OMA and Luxigon

The 11th Street Bridge Park is scheduled to begin construction in 2021 and will create a communal gathering place to unite a long-divided city. 

Image © OMA and Luxigon

Image © OMA and Luxigon

Image courtesy of OMA

Top image © OMA and Luxigon 

> via OMA