Construction begins on the canopy designed by Ayesa for Seville’s San Telmo bridge

The installation forms part of a much broader initiative that will extend to twelve river and railway bridges with a distinctly pedestrian character.

The project builds on the pioneering design of José Luis Manzanares Japón, founder of Ayesa, who first conceived the use of sidewalk canopies on the Cristo de la Expiración Bridge.

The iconic San Telmo Bridge in Seville will debut in the coming months an innovative textile shading system designed by Ayesa, combining sustainability, climate efficiency, and respect for historical heritage. The project, promoted by the Urban Planning Department of the Seville City Council, aims to mitigate the extreme temperatures that affect the city, particularly during the summer months.

Ayesa’s proposal is considered unique on a global scale, as there are no known precedents in which the entire span of a historic urban river bridge—nearly a century old and under heritage protection, while accommodating vehicular, pedestrian, and bicycle traffic—has been covered with solar-protection elements. In this regard, the intervention follows in the footsteps of the pioneering design by José Luis Manzanares Japón, who 34 years ago conceptualized the use of sidewalk canopies on the Cristo de la Expiración Bridge.

Ayesa’s architectural design proposes the installation of shading elements along both sidewalks through a semi-vaulted tensioned textile canopy supported by a removable metal structure that visually integrates with the existing features of the urban environment. This structure will rest on the bridge’s lampposts and railings using a system of curved transversal frames, ensuring minimal impact on the heritage asset and maximum aesthetic and functional integration.

The solution developed by Ayesa is grounded in bioclimatic and sustainability criteria, as well as respect for historical heritage. It incorporates curved canopies that adapt to the solar path and echo the original structural language of the bridge, characterized by arches and semicylindrical columns. Soltis 86 micro-perforated fabric by Serge Ferrari will be used, capable of blocking 86% of solar radiation while allowing 28% of natural light to pass through, resulting in a significant improvement in thermal and visual comfort for pedestrians and cyclists.

In addition to the shading system, the project includes complementary nighttime lighting using projectors directed at the textile panels to generate diffuse light, as well as low-level beacons integrated into the railings to enhance visibility and pedestrian safety.

Miguel Rabán, one of the project authors, emphasizes that “this is an acupuncture-style intervention that requires great sensitivity, as it concerns a historic bridge—the second oldest in the city (1931)—deeply embedded in the collective imagination of Seville and its river. This uniqueness calls for comprehensive protection from a heritage perspective, which is why characteristic pre-existing elements such as the railings and lampposts have been preserved and integrated into the proposed design.”

To minimize traffic disruptions, the installation will be carried out in two phases. Pedestrian, cyclist, and vehicular circulation will be ensured at all times, with at least one sidewalk and three roadway lanes remaining operational throughout the works.

“Our proposal seeks to reconcile improved urban comfort with the preservation of historical heritage. We have designed a lightweight, removable, and visually integrated structure that reinforces the identity of the San Telmo Bridge and enhances the citizen experience. Moreover, it represents the first application of a homogeneous design intended to be deployed across the other bridges included in the project and, potentially, in other southern cities where climate-related challenges are increasingly severe,” explains Benjamín Quintero, also a member of the design team.

This project is the first under a contract awarded by the Urban Planning Department of the Seville City Council exceeding 600,000 euros, covering structural repair and the installation of canopies, urban redevelopment, and nighttime lighting for twelve of the city’s bridges: Los Remedios, San Telmo, Isabel II, Cristo de la Expiración, La Cartuja, La Barqueta, Pasarela de la Calzada, Avda. José Laguillo, C/ Samaniego, Avda. Alcalde Manuel del Valle, Carretera de Carmona, and Ronda Urbana Norte.

With this initiative, Ayesa reaffirms its commitment to sustainable urban development, providing technological solutions that help improve quality of life and strengthen the resilience of urban environments to climate change.