The Kistefos Museum and Sculpture Park in Norway, designed by Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG), blurs the line between building, bridge, and public art. Spanning the Randselva River, this under-construction project replaces an existing pedestrian bridge and museum extension with a bold, 90-degree twisted steel structure that elegantly links both riverbanks.
This all-steel truss girder bridge measures approximately 80 m long and incorporates a 90° twist at mid-span to match the differing topographies of the site. Delivered by Bladt Industries and engineered by Ramboll, its structural and architectural narrative is a seamless response to its natural context. The twist creates a volumetric expansion, enabling larger gallery spaces on the lower side of the bank while maintaining a slender, bridge-like profile upstream.
Precision engineering was essential. BIG’s parametric model was translated through Grasshopper into Tekla and then to structural analysis software Robot, ensuring each uniquely shaped steel unit was fabricated to millimetre accuracy. To support construction, an interim bridge was erected mid-span, enabling safe assembly of the twisted modules-a solution only feasible with steel’s adaptability and rigour.
Beyond structural innovation, the design doubles as an exhibition space. The steel framework supports suspended walkways, glazed facades, and integrated lighting, transforming the bridge into a sculptural experience. Encasing steel secondary structures house galleries, reinforcing the multifunctional ambition: the bridge is both path and pavilion.
The Kistefos project illustrates steel’s extraordinary versatility, it thrives in technically complex geometry, enables modular, high-precision fabrication, and serves both structural and aesthetic roles. As a hybrid of infrastructure, studio, and art, the bridge stands as a compelling example of next-generation steel architecture: functional yet expressive, engineered for precision yet evocative in form, and deeply rooted in its landscape.
Importantly, the bridge also enhances accessibility and visitor flow within the museum campus. By linking both sides of the river through an immersive, art-integrated path, it invites pedestrians to engage with the site in new ways. The transition from open-air walkway to enclosed gallery is gradual and fluid, offering varied spatial experiences that reflect the evolving dialogue between art, nature, and engineered form.
