“Did you know this bridge is named after a famous garden designer?” I ask. This is the Mien Ruysbrug. It connects you to Park Frankendael.
The Mien Ruysbrug wasn’t always called that. It was simply bridge 1944. Locals requested a name in 2016. The city council approved Mien Ruysbrug in 2018.
Mien Ruys was a landscape architect. She was one of the most famous in the Netherlands. Ruys made an international impact. She worked from Dedemsvaart. She completed many projects in Amsterdam. Ruys designed the green spaces in Tuindorp Frankendael. This was in collaboration with architect Ben Merkelbach. The Mien Ruysbrug connects Park Frankendael and Nieuw Jeruzalem. This bridge honors her work.
The Mien Ruysbrug was built during the Park Frankendael renovation. The park needed updating. Architectenbureau Sant en Co modernized it. Edwin Santhagens led the project. The path system was changed. The water flow was improved. The park needed more bridges. Santhagens designed this bridge.
Notice the bridge’s unique design. It has three different heights. From Hugo de Vrieslaan, it starts high on a dike. It slopes down close to the water. Near the park, it rises again.
The Mien Ruysbrug is the longest bridge in the park. It spans a “kom” or bowl. There are artificial reed islands in the Molenwetering. This waterway has crossed Watergraafsmeer for centuries.
The bridge’s construction is interesting. It has a concrete foundation with wooden yokes. Wooden beams support the deck. The railings feature upright wooden beams. There is a metal handrail with steel cables. Most of the wood is left bare.
Some say the beams and planks resemble railway ties. These were often used in Ruys’s designs. The Mien Ruysbrug provides access to the park. It’s a fitting tribute to a great landscape architect. Take a moment to appreciate Mien Ruys’s legacy as you cross this bridge. Her innovative ideas shaped Amsterdam’s green spaces.