Dresden Carolabrücke reconstruction design chosen by citizen vote

More than 25,800 residents of Dresden took part in the online portal “carolaVOTE” to rank four proposals for rebuilding the city’s Carolabrücke, which partially collapsed on the night of 11 September 2024 due to corrosion. The design submitted by ARGE FHECOR Deutschland GmbH together with TSSB Planungsgesellschaft secured the narrow first place, followed by the proposal from Leonhardt, Andrä und Partner (VBI AG and Knight Architects). The remaining entries from GRASSL GmbH, gmp Architekten and Schüßler‑Plan fell behind. The participation period ran from 13 June to 28 July 2026, accompanied by public exhibitions, guided tours and “bridge cafés” that attracted strong interest, with over 300 comment cards recorded.

The results and the expert panel’s recommendation will be reviewed by the accompanying committee on 18 August 2026, which will forward a proposal to the Dresden city council. The council is scheduled to decide on the appointment of a planning team on 3 September 2026. Reconstruction is slated to begin in May 2028, with full completion expected by 2031.