PITTSBURGH, PA.- The Carnegie Museum of Art presents Connections: The West End Pedestrian Bridge Competition. The West End Bridge is a major historic element in the Pittsburgh cityscape, a key bridge in a city famed for its bridges. Linking the city's Northside and West End neighborhoods, the bridge offers splendid views east to Point State Park and downtown Pittsburgh and west across Brunot's Island and the Ohio River. However, it is difficult for pedestrians and cyclists to access and traverse the bridge in current circumstances. As part of the ongoing development of the rivers and riverbanks in Pittsburgh, the Riverlife Task Force organized a two-phase competition to improve pedestrian use of the bridge.

More than 100 architects, engineers, landscape architects, urban designers, artists, and students from around the world participated in the opening phase of the competition. They were charged with envisioning creative approaches to connect pedestrians, cyclists, boaters, and other users of all ages to both shores of the river. The six design teams selected to continue in the competition were asked to develop their proposals to strike a balance between visionary ideas and practical design while respecting the historical significance and structural grace of the existing bridge.

The exhibition presents the winning proposal-submitted by Endres Ware, Architects and Engineers of Berkeley, California, collaborating with the landscape architects Olin Partnership of Philadelphia-together with the other five final stage proposals and five projects commended in the competition's first stage.

The end of the competition launches a process that Riverlife hopes will build on public and private partnerships to complete "the Loop" and make Three Rivers Park a focal point in the life of the city while highlighting Pittsburgh's existing resources and elevating access to our waterfronts.

Competition Winners:
1st Prize: Endres Ware, Berkeley, CA
2nd Prize: La Dallman Architects, Milwaukee, WI
3rd Prize: West 8, Rotterdam, The Netherlands

Final Round Competitors:
Bridgescape, Columbia, MD
Index Space Architecture, Miami, FL
Llonch + Vidalle Architecture, New York, NY and Buenos Aires, Argentina

Honorable Mentions from First Round:
4240 Architecture, Chicago, IL
Architecture Denver, Denver, CO
Claus Gade and Peter Leuchsenring, Hellerup, Denmark
David Roth, Pittsburgh, PA
Hiroyuki Futai, Nakano Tokyo, Japan.