For a cyclist, a city is more than a line on a map. A journey begins at home, passes through junctions and ends somewhere a bicycle can be left conveniently and securely. The Bicycle Architecture Biennale organised that experience around three themes: routes, connections and destinations. Its 2019–20 selection brought together 15 projects from nine countries, including 11 built works and four concepts.
Two projects in the selection illustrate the difference between a route and a destination. In Xiamen, China, an elevated cycling path runs for about eight kilometres through the city. Bicycle parking at Utrecht Central Station addresses the other end of the trip: it links cycling with rail travel and makes a transfer part of an ordinary journey.
The shared lesson is not a particular architectural style or scale. Riders need a continuous path and a clear sense of where to go next. A well-designed parking facility, legible access to a station and a comfortable crossing can matter as much as the cycle route itself.