Planning multimodal access and crowd-flow management for a high-intensity, temporary floating walkway

The Floating Piers was a large-scale temporary art installation conceived by artist Christo on Lake Iseo. The project created a floating walkway connecting the mainland town of Sulzano with the islands of Monte Isola and Isola di San Paolo.

The installation consisted of approximately 3 km of floating piers, complemented by 1.5 km of pedestrian routes across the islands and the Sulzano waterfront.

The main mobility challenge was managing extremely high visitor flows on a narrow floating structure covered with bright yellow polyamide fabric and surrounded by deep water. Ensuring safety, accessibility, and smooth circulation for visitors of all ages was critical, particularly given the limited access points and the expected high attendance.

In addition, the installation required continuous monitoring and maintenance to guarantee operational safety throughout the event.

Systematica supported The Floating Piers project from the early planning stages, initially collaborating with Arup on the feasibility study and technical organization of the installation.

The firm later developed an integrated Multimodal Accessibility Plan, aimed at ensuring efficient access to the site and managing the movement of visitors during the event.

The project represented a unique opportunity for Systematica to apply its mobility planning expertise to a major contemporary art installation, bridging technical mobility planning with the world of large-scale cultural events.

Systematica designed a comprehensive mobility strategy to manage the large number of visitors expected during the event, estimated between 28,000 and 42,000 people per day and more than 500,000 visitors over the two-week exhibition period.

The mobility plan operated at both regional and local scales and integrated multiple transport systems. Key measures included enhanced railway services providing direct access to Sulzano (with capacity for more than 15,000 passengers per day), dedicated bus shuttle services, and expanded lake ferry operations capable of transporting approximately 10,000 passengers per day.

The Floating Piers was open from June 18 to July 3, 2016, allowing visitors to walk almost continuously across approximately 200,000 floating polyethylene cubes covered in yellow fabric.

The installation attracted extraordinary public interest, welcoming around 1.5 million visitors over its two-week duration, with more than 100,000 visitors during the first two days alone. Access to the installation was free but regulated to maintain safe visitor densities.

Systematica’s multimodal approach ensured efficient access to the Floating Piers while minimizing congestion in the surrounding areas.

Following the exhibition, the entire installation was dismantled and all materials were recycled, ensuring minimal long-term environmental impact.