The Grand Canal Gateway Bridge in Hangzhou is one of three ZHA projects to win 2026 ‘Rethinking the Future’ Awards. The 390-metre-long bridge unites the 800,000 sqm Seamless City masterplan under construction on the east and west banks of the canal.

The centrepiece of the city’s new 14.7-hectare public park & river promenade, the bridge & masterplan by ZHA reconnects the city with its historic Grand Canal & Qiantang River waterfronts, integrating homes, workplaces & community amenities with places for recreation & tourism.

A UNESCO World Heritage site, the Grand Canal is China’s most ancient & longest man-made waterway—dating from the 5th century BC—flowing south from Beijing to connect with the Yellow & Yangtze Rivers before joining the Qiantang River at its southern gateway in Hangzhou.

The Qiantang River is renowned for its ‘Silver Dragon’, the world’s largest tidal bore, generated by tides from Hangzhou Bay surging upstream, creating waves up to 9m high travelling at 40 km/h. The bridge’s walkways & plaza mark the gateway to the Grand Canal and provide vantage points to safely experience the ‘Silver Dragon’s force of nature.

With the city of Hangzhou’s heritage in silk embroidery, the bridge’s design reinterprets traditional stitching techniques—its structure weaves & binds to support a bridge for pedestrians & cyclists.

The footbridge is a steel, tied three-arch system lighter than concrete alternatives. Its geometry minimises lateral forces within the foundations by preventing powerful wind forces that blow inland from the river transferring to the sensitive historic site at the confluence of the Grand Canal and Qiantang River.

Prefabricated modular construction minimised waste & build time, eliminating disruption to traffic on the Grand Canal, currently used by 100,000 barges each year to transport 260 million tons of cargo sustainably within China.

Photos: Xue Liang