Zaha Hadid Architects has built a 3D-printed concrete footbridge named Striatus at the Venice Architecture Biennale that is freestanding and assembled without mortar. Named Striatus, the 16-metre-long bridge was built by the computation and design team at Zaha Hadid Architects, known as ZHACODE, in collaboration with the Block Research Group (BRG) at Swiss university ETH Zurich. It was constructed from 53 hollow blocks each printed from 500 layers of printed concrete.
The structure is an unreinforced arched bridge that uses compression and gravity to hold its form. The studios arranged the 3D-printed wedge-shaped elements, known as voussoirs, to form arches and vaults. The bridge has a double-curved deck with swooping stepped entry points placed at either end of the bridge, leading up the structure from its footings.