TU Dresden
RWTH TU Darmstadt Leibniz Institut Universität Hamburg

Winner of the student competition to design a "resource-efficient Elbe crossing using the example of the Carola Bridge Dresden" chosen

Under the patronage of the City of Dresden and in collaboration with the TUD Dresden University of Technology, a student competition was held to design a "resource-efficient Elbe crossing using the example of the Carola Bridge". The aim was to develop a design for a bridge that would close the gap that has existed at this central point in the city since September 11, 2024.

Foto der ury vor dem Modell des Siegerentwurfs v.l.: Professor Richard Stroetmann (TU Dresden), Bart Halaczek, Professorin Yvonne Ciupack (TU Darmstadt), Professor Steffen Marx (TU Dresden)
Die Jury vor dem Siegerentwurf v.l.: Professor Richard Stroetmann (TU Dresden), Bart Halaczek, Professorin Yvonne Ciupack (TU Darmstadt), Professor Steffen Marx (TU Dresden)
© Jakob Vogt

Particular attention was paid to the central location of the bridge and the diverse traffic flows above and below the Elbe. On Monday, October 6, 2025, an expert jury (consisting of representatives from TU Dresden, TU Darmstadt and industry) selected the winners from a total of twelve entries. Cost specifications were deliberately not set in the competition in order to give the participants the greatest possible creative freedom. The city council's decision to expand the bridge to four lanes was only made during the competition. The strict planning conditions for the actual reconstruction were also not known at the start of the student competition.

"As with the last competition, we have once again seen an impressively high quality of submissions," emphasized Steffen Marx, Director of the Institute of Concrete Structures at TU Dresden. "It is pleasing to see how students are developing their ideas for a sustainable Carola Bridge and pursuing creative and sustainable approaches."

Visualisierung der neuen Carolabrücke aus dem studentischen Wettbewerb
Platz 1: Dieser Entwurf gefällt am besten: "Der Entwurf übersetzt die Brückentradition in Dresden ins Moderne."
© Hans Bolz, Marc Lilienthal, Ferdinand Schulte zu Sodingen, Linus Witzel

The first prize was awarded to a design that impresses with its outstanding urban planning and design quality. The bridge creates a high quality of stay for all user groups, guides pedestrians, cyclists and traffic safely across the Elbe and makes the structure itself a tangible experience. With the modern reinterpretation of the arched structure, the building blends harmoniously into the city skyline and the existing image of the Elbe bridges and combines innovation with respect for the building culture. The result is a design that has the potential to become a new landmark in the center of Dresden.

Visualisierung der neuen Carolabrücke aus dem studentischen Wettbewerb
Die Jury lobte den Entwurf des zweiten Platzes: "die Brücke besticht in ihrer Schlichtheit und Klarheit und bietet zugleich eine überraschend hohe Aufenthaltsqualität."
© Florian Einbock, Florian Felber, Simon Gernlein, Maurice Müller
Visualisierung der neuen Carolabrücke aus dem studentischen Wettbewerb
Das Tragwerk des dritten Platzes schafft einen „zusammenhängenden Erlebnisbereich zwischen Brühlschen Terrassen und Neustädter Elbufer."
© Karimi Ishak Fahmy Guirguis, Boril Nestorov, José Luis Arellano Mendoza, Andre Orsoni

The winning designs can be viewed on the website of the Institute of Concrete Structures at TU Dresden.