Wave Bridge

Wave Bridge is a bridge by PAU Studio in Indianapolis, IN, designed as a multi-modal crossing over Fall Creek. The project was developed for 16 Tech Community Corporation in partnership with sbp engineers and a broader interdisciplinary team, with community engagement shaping priorities around history and heritage, safety and accessibility, trails and connections, and programming and events.

The bridge is intended to connect historically disenfranchised neighborhoods and an innovation district with Indianapolis’ research and medical corridor, downtown businesses and institutions, and the wider trail and greenway network, including the Indianapolis Cultural Trail. It is listed as 342’ Long, 65’ Wide, and gives most of its deck area to pedestrians and cyclists through protected pathways separated from traffic. A public space at the center of the span is planned for reflection and repose, particularly for people working in and visiting nearby hospitals.

The design reworks a suspension bridge type by replacing vertical masts with a fan arrangement of smaller masts and using steel plates as the tension element. The wave form responds to the tree-lined setting of Fall Creek and its wooded banks, while the bridge’s trail connections support movement beyond automotive traffic.