“Bridges Embracing Nature and the Interwoven Light of Seasons” Wins Gold for Zhubei City Office at Future Art & Design Award UK

LIN WEI CHENG & The Zhubei City Office in Taiwan has been honored with the Gold Prize in the Landscape & Urban Planning Design category at the Future Art & Design Award UK 2025 Autumn Season for the project Bridges Embracing Nature and the Interwoven Light of Seasons.

The jury praised the work as “a successful and carefully considered project that uses organic forms and well-chosen materials to create inviting, well-integrated bridges.”

Led by Mayor Cheng Chao-Fang, the project reimagines the Dongxing Canal Trail area through an approach rooted in humanistic aesthetics, connecting people, landscape, and architecture. Each bridge along the trail was designed with unique curves and forms that respond to the surrounding terrain — creating a poetic and walkable greenbelt that harmonizes beauty, safety, and ecology.

The project demonstrates how civic design can blend artistic sensibility with functionality, turning everyday infrastructure into an aesthetic and sustainable experience for residents.

1. What initially inspired this project? Was there a particular idea, moment, or question that sparked its creation?

Cheng Chao-Fang, Mayor of Zhubei City: Creating poetic urban spaces with the concept of humanistic aesthetics。The Zhubei City Office has improved the environment of the Dongxing Canal Trail by designing each bridge with different curves according to the terrain, creating a greenbelt that serves as a walking corridor combining beauty and poetry.

2. What was the most exciting or most challenging aspect of bringing this work to life?

Mayor Cheng Chao fang hopes to create the most beautiful waterfront greenbelt. The original 16 bridges had deteriorated due to erosion and aging. To enhance pedestrian safety and the walkway’s appearance, a budget of 20 million was allocated for renovations. Steel structures were chosen as the bridge foundations, with wood used for the bridge decks and handrails, balancing durability and aesthetic design.

Creating a living environment for the residents of Zhubei City that combines both aesthetics and safety, with the goal of becoming a walkable city. Large trees are preserved to provide natural shade for pedestrians, making the pedestrian bridges more ecologically appealing. Each bridge features white as the main color and showcases different curves based on the terrain, breaking away from the traditional straight designs. This not only gives each bridge a unique style but also adds a poetic charm.

3. How was your experience taking part in the Future Art & Design Award UK?

Future Art & Design Award UK is a very prestigious award that allows designs to be showcased on the international stage, letting people around the world see the urban aesthetics of Zhubei City expressed through various designs.