Passerelle Zwolle wins silver at the WAN Awards
International recognition for a project Grijsen contributed to
The Passerelle in Zwolle — Europe's longest CLT footbridge — has won a silver WAN Award 2026 in the Bridges category. The prize was awarded to designer Karres en Brands.
Grijsen Park & Street Design supplied the bespoke street furniture for this award-winning project.
Date
30 March 2026
Location
Zwolle
The WAN Awards are one of the most prestigious international architecture prizes in the world, organised by World Architecture News. An independent panel of leading architecture experts evaluates entries from dozens of countries. The jury praised the Passerelle for its intelligent use of sustainable materials, clear vision on placemaking, and refined detailing.
"Intelligent use of natural and low carbon materials, clear narrative about placemaking, fine detailing."
WAN Awards jury, on the Passerelle Zwolle
The Passerelle connects Zwolle's city centre with the Spoorzone and Hanzekwartier district via a 130-metre-long, 10-metre-wide timber footbridge at a height of 7 metres. The project was realised on behalf of the municipality of Zwolle and ProRail by Dura Vermeer and Van Gelder, to a design by Karres en Brands, ipv Delft and Ingenieurbüro Miebach.
Grijsen managed the full process from design to installation of the outdoor benches on the bridge. The benches follow the planting and the characteristic S-shape of the Passerelle, creating resting points with views across the city and the station area. The international recognition for this project underlines the quality of the collaboration and the contribution that high-quality street furniture makes to the experience of public space.
Want to know more about this project?
For this project we created a custom design in close collaboration with Karres en Brands.
