Taylor Yard Bicycle and Pedestrian Bridge

Project Details

Project Description

SPF:architects (SPF:a) is pleased to announce that Taylor Yard Bridge, a 400-foot pedestrian bridge spanning across the LA River and connecting Elysian Valley (Frogtown) to Taylor Yard, has been completed and is now open to the public.

The Taylor Yard Bridge connects two areas along the Los Angeles River that historically experienced friction. Playfully referred to as Rumblefish in reference to the 1983 Coppola film about rival gangs and as a symbolic gesture to the area’s own history of gang violence, SPF:a envisions the officially-named Taylor Yard Bikeway & Pedestrian Bridge as a community collision of the peaceful kind, both a meeting point and a space for quiet contemplation of the river.

Influenced by classic railway bridges and the mid-20th century Los Angeles Case Study Houses, the simple geometric design and deliberate choice to employ the lightest structural elements possible (tube steel, wide flange steel, and steel rods) create the impression that the bright orange bridge simply “floats” across the river.

The architecture of Rumblefish is uncomplicated, essentially the visual equivalent to an oversized box truss sloping from east to west. Like the bridge’s overall design, the connecting river path similarly seems to “float” within the steel beam medley, as the walkway tilts to meet the different elevations of the banks while the exterior structure itself remains level. This track is an extension of the roads and walkways on terra firma and is the representation of the city’s path as it passes over the bridge—the truss is there to simply hold this path in place.

Structural elements were componentized so that larger portions of the bridge could be assembled in an adjacent yard and construction work within the riverbed could be minimized. Construction on Taylor Yard Bridge began in May 2019 and was completed in March 2022.

Taylor Yard Bridge not only provides regular public access to the LA River, but also advances Mayor Garcetti’s goal of ensuring at least 65% of Angelenos live within a half-mile of a park or open space by 2025.