ALL THE WORLD’S A STAGE

AN ADAPTATION OF THE CLAIBORNE PELL BRIDGE

CROSSING THE PELL is the culminating project of RISD Interior Architecture’s MA in Adaptive Reuse
program. A collaboration between graduate students from the departments of Interior Architecture and
Landscape Architecture, this studio resulted in four design visions for introducing bike and pedestrian
access to the existing Claiborne Pell Bridge.

ALL THE WORLD’S A STAGE

The construction of the Pell Bridge in 1966 transformed access to Newport and contributed to its rise as a
tourist destination. Today, spectacle is the heart of entertainment in Newport, from the Jazz Festival to the
regattas in the Narragansett Bay that take place annually. This project embraces such vibrancy and extends
the cultural wealth to the Narragansett Bay and Newport’s North End.

This proposal for the addition of bike and pedestrian access assumes Shakespeare’s line that “all the world’s
a stage.” It is a scheme of access that is populated by public spaces for celebrating the spectacle of everyday
life. Through technology, a section of the bridge will transform into the world’s largest outdoor theater -
viewable and accessible from one’s boat or a seat in a new floating amphitheater. In addition, the trackable
panels address the particular wind conditions of the Narragansett Bay by moving with the wind flow to
provide a protected environment on the bridge. The theater and performance spaces paired with new
venues such as the Cafe and the Welcome Center will generate revenue and boost the economy through
the creation of local jobs. All the World’s A Stage is a vision that goes beyond a bike and pedestrian path,
by extending Newport into the Narragansett Bay.

Saira Nepomuceno (INTAR) Seung Hwan Oh (LDAR)

snepomuc@risd.edu soh12@risd.edu www.crossingthepell.risd.edu
THE INHABITED BRIDGE
AN ADAPTATION OF THE CLAIBORNE PELL BRIDGE
CROSSING THE PELL is the culminating project of RISD Interior Architecture’s MA in Adaptive Reuse
program. A collaboration between graduate students from the departments of Interior Architecture and
Landscape Architecture, this studio resulted in four design visions for introducing bike and pedestrian
access to the existing Claiborne Pell Bridge.

THE INHABITED BRIDGE

This proposal for bike and pedestrian access to the Claiborne Pell Bridge addresses its unique length of 2.1
miles, a distance akin to more than 20 city blocks in an urban environment. The Inhabited Bridge offers
a walking and biking experience through a mini-city below the existing bridge deck in which distances are
broken up by the typical amenities found in urban city blocks. Cafes, dog parks, children’s playgrounds,
restaurants and small shops abound in this inhabited bridge above the Narragansett Bay.

As a proposal for adapting existing infrastructure with pre-determined loading capacities, The Inhabited
Bridge is envisioned as a lightweight addition utilizing printed construction and composite materials. Through
a groundbreaking construction method of 3D printing, a skeleton of path and structure is created from
carbon fiber and wrapped with a translucent lightweight membrane. This proposal introduces innovative,
affordable and time saving techniques that will help develop new industries wielding a long-term economic
impact on the community and the State of Rhode Island.

Sofía Páez (INTAR) Shuyi Guan (LDAR)

spaez@risd.edu sguan@risd.edu www.crossingthepell.risd.edu
CONDUCTIVITY
AN ADAPTATION OF THE CLAIBORNE PELL BRIDGE
CROSSING THE PELL is the culminating project of RISD Interior Architecture’s MA in Adaptive Reuse
program. A collaboration between graduate students from the departments of Interior Architecture and
Landscape Architecture, this studio resulted in four design visions for introducing bike and pedestrian
access to the existing Claiborne Pell Bridge.

CONDUCTIVITY
Conceived of more than half a century ago, The Pell Bridge accommodated a car-centric society. Today
with a global focus on climate change, the bridge has the potential to serve more than the automobile. In
providing bicycle and pedestrian access to the Pell, Conductivity utilizes adaptive infrastructural systems
that blur the boundaries between land, water, and air to provide new user experiences that also harvest
energy for the community.

Fast paths and slow paths address the needs of different users: bikers, pedestrians and runners. The
development of the anchor cable block as public space caters to gathering directly over the Narragansett Bay
and its many events. All user movement across the new interventions is part of an energy system which
harvests solar, wind and kinetic energy. Achieved through organic photovoltaics and piezoelectric technology,
electricity is generated by tracking the movement of people over time.

Additions, such as the aero tunnel and the anchor node event spaces, improve aerodynamics and alleviate
stress on the existing structure, prolonging its lifespan. Conductivity is not just a path, but a holistic
approach to the future of bridge design that contributes to climate change action by capturing energy
through infrastructure.

Demilade Okunfulure (INTAR) Mohan Wang (LDAR)

demiokunfulure@gmail.com mwang03@risd.edu www.crossingthepell.risd.edu
THE NET
AN ADAPTATION OF THE CLAIBORNE PELL BRIDGE
CROSSING THE PELL is the culminating project of RISD Interior Architecture’s MA in Adaptive Reuse
program. A collaboration between graduate students from the departments of Interior Architecture and
Landscape Architecture, this studio resulted in four design visions for introducing bike and pedestrian
access to the existing Claiborne Pell Bridge.

THE NET: Connecting Daily Lives

Almost like casting a fishnet into the water, a familiar gesture for the people of Newport and Jamestown,
The Net spans the two shores by giving renewed life to the existing Claiborne Pell Bridge.

The opening of the Pell Bridge in 1969 transformed historic Newport into a city with a bustling tourist
economy. More than half a century later, The Net enhances this economy through the addition of
bicycle and pedestrian access that incorporates a renewed fishing industry derived from the waters of
the Narragansett Bay. In homage to the fishing occupation, an architectural vocabulary of nets supports
both the new path and the eco-friendly marine-life system that encourages healthier fishing practices. The
almost invisible net canopy creates ever-changing experiences as it plays with natural elements such as light,
wind, and gravity. Lastly, to restore the ancient act of communities gathering at markets, a public fish market
anchors The Net into the north end of Newport. This project not only focuses on weaving daily lives but
encourages equity between human beings, ecology, and the different communities.

Nupoor Maduskar (INTAR) Yu Xiao (LDAR)

nmaduska@risd.edu.com yxiao03@risd.edu www.crossingthepell.risd.edu