Gutachten Dresden_englisch_dritte f.indd - Fakultät für Architektur ...

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At the same height as the Waldschlösschen are the broadest local expanses of the Elbe
meadows and the peak of the Elbe river bend, its median point between Altstadt and
Loschwitz. It is from this point that two emblems of Dresden are visible: the city skyline
with the restored Frauenkirche, as well as that engineering marvel of the Elbe Valley,
the “Blue Wonder” bridge.
The position of the vantage point at Waldschlösschen, in the middle of the Elbe river
bend, contributes to the feeling of open space, while both distant landmarks make a
combined visual impression. The distances to the Frauenkirche and to the Loschwitz
Bridge are combined in the mind of the viewer. For this effect to take place, the spatial
context of the valley and floodplain must be undisturbed.
Exactly at this point, that is, at the vertex of the bend, is where the Waldschlösschen
Bridge would create a break in the view of the landscape, a split into two almost equally
sized areas, but which could not be visually recombined to create a whole. The sense
of space would be destroyed; it would be lost over the long term, thereby effacing
this particular experience of landscape. Any bridge is more than just a stroke within
a landscape. When a landscape is truly appreciated, our visual, acoustic, and tactile
sense-perceptions are all stimulated. Thus, the sounds of bird song or of water flowing
heighten a person’s experience of a landscape. But by the same token, it is not difficult
to imagine that the effect of an optical split of the Elbe Valley would be exacerbated by
the noise of a four-lane bridge.
Based on these considerations, from the point of view of this report, the only conclusion
which can be made is that the visual impact of the projected Waldschlösschen Bridge
would be severe. In terms of the limited scope of the question under investigation, the
conclusion even has to be drawn that building the bridge in this place would irreversibly
damage the unique qualities of the Elbe Valley.
Until now, the planning process has been marked by a series of unfortunate circum-
stances. The fact that the projected building date of the Waldschlösschen Bridge and
the application procedure for the Dresden Elbe Valley’s inclusion in the World Heritage
Site list have overlapped in time has created a situation where productive dialogue
towards an acceptable solution has become difficult. The citizens’ decision to approve
the project, taken together with the legal situation following the court decision, have
resulted in additional circumstances which constrain the discussion of alternatives to the
“Verkehrszug Waldschlösschenbrücke”, particularly since the financial and legal impli-
cations of the advertised project are considerable. However, these are primarily political
factors, and as such must not be included in the assessor‘s report.