Designed by: @office

Captured by: Bas Princen

Tondo is a footbridge positioned between two buildings of the Belgian Federal Parliament, conceived as a spatial element rather than simply an infrastructural connection. Named after the Renaissance term for a circular work of art designed to fit anywhere, the bridge takes the form of a ring. Its geometry also addresses a practical requirement: the difference in floor levels would have made a linear route too steep for wheelchair users, while the circular path covers the same distance with an accessible slope.

The bridge is structured around a rigid roof disc made from prefabricated steel elements assembled on site. Its floor is suspended from the roof by thin white-painted metal rods, making the structure appear almost invisible. Seen from a distance, Tondo reads as an opaque volume, recalling the Venetian Bridge of Sighs. Its exterior is clad in polished stainless-steel panels with a mirrored finish.

The reflective surface captures the eighteenth-century façade of the Parliament building and its more recent extension across the street. From inside, the curved glass façade provides clear views towards the exterior, while the reflective coating limits views into the bridge from outside. The contrast between transparency and reflection changes the way the structure is perceived from either side.

For passersby, the bridge remains largely closed to view, with its mirrored surface reflecting the surrounding architecture rather than revealing its interior. Yet those who look closely can glimpse the silhouettes of people crossing through the curved structure, introducing a subtle human presence to the otherwise opaque and reflective volume.