bridges

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Design

Inspired by the Industrial Age, Giant Gears Conduct ‘Rolling Bridge’ Along an East London Channel

Cody Dock, a Victorian-era industrial site along the River Lea in east London, is in the midst of a monumental facelift as part of a masterplan to transform the space into a creative hub. A new bridge by architect Thomas Randall-Page connects pedestrians across a recently re-flooded channel, but this is no 19th-century relic. Nodding to its industrial surroundings through the use of weathered steel and bent oak, “Cody Dock Rolling Bridge” has the distinction of being the first of its kind to roll on its axis to make room for passing boats.

Seven years in the making, the design for the crossing was inspired by early mechanisms that could be powered by hand. Gear teeth wrap the frame, and when operated by a set of manual levers, the entire structure passes along tracks on the sides of the channel. Using materials “in their raw untreated state, the aesthetic is more influenced by the area’s maritime and shipbuilding past, traces of which are dotted throughout the area,” Randall-Page told Dezeen.

“Rolling Bridge” is part of PUP Architects’ multifaceted plan to transform the once-derelict site into a pedestrian-friendly, artistic community, and it was a finalist for the 2023 Bridges Awards. Find more projects by Thomas Randall-Page on his website.

 

Design

Don’t Look Down! The World’s Longest Suspension Bridge Opens in the Czech Republic

Sky Bridge 721 opened earlier this month in the Czech Republic and is claiming its title as the longest suspension walkway in the world, a record held previously by a similar design in Portugal. Strung between two peaks of the Kralicky Snezník mountain, the pedestrian path stretches an incredible 721 meters and reaches 95 meters above ground at its highest point. Two years in the making, the steel construction weighs 450 tons and relies on 66 ropes for support. For the fearless, height-loving adventurers wanting to take the nearly half-mile trek over the Mlýnský Stream valley, the Dolní Morava resort is coordinating access and tours. (via designboom)

 

Art

Monumental Cardboard Bridges Float in the Sky in Temporary Installations by Olivier Grossetête

Temporarily seen hovering above small European towns or balancing on a river in floating canoes are elaborate bridges designed to be constructed and demolished in a matter of days. The ongoing work of Olivier Grossetête, the cardboard-and-tape pieces are entirely hand-built by the French artist and local residents. Each ephemeral installation, which Grossetête refers to as “utopian building(s), temporary and useless,” appears for only a day or two before it’s taken down and the public is asked to stomp on and destroy the cardboard. “This is an integral part of the project,” the artist says in a statement. “This symbolic moment is fun.” While they’re on display, the architectural works are often tethered between hot air balloons and existing buildings, which makes them appear dream-like as they float above the urban landscape.

Grossetête has been utilizing the cheap, flexible material for more than ten years because it’s easy to manipulate, allowing the installations to spring up and be removed relatively quickly. “Despite its appearance, it has quite extraordinary capacities and is very light. It doesn’t scare anyone, and it allows me to open my practice to the greatest number of people,” he says, explaining that it’s also emblematic of cultural signifiers. “It is the symbol of the false and of the appearance! I like to make this parallel between architecture, an instrument of power, and the false, the appearance.”

Currently living in Jausiers in the Alpes de Hautes Provences, Grossetête is headed to 23 Milhas in Ílhavo, Portugal for his next installation, which will be up from July 31 to August 1. You can explore more than a decade of his works on his site.

 

Design

The World’s Longest Pedestrian Suspension Bridge Stretches Across the Paiva River Gorge in Portugal

Don’t look down! A new pedestrian bridge suspended 175-feet above the rocky gorge cradling the Paiva River opened in Portugal this week, and it’s now the longest of its kind. At 1,700 feet, Arouca 516 eclipses the former record-holder, the 1,621-foot Charles Kuonen Suspension Bridge in the Swiss Alps, as it stretches across the UNESCO-recognized Arouca Geopark. The steel construction is located in a five-mile stretch of the gorge known for its wooden walkways, adding another option for intrepid explorers to experience the lush scenery.

Update: The Baglung Parbat Footbridge in Nepal also claims the “world’s longest footbridge” title at a length of 1,860 feet.

 

Animation Design History

Watch the 14th-Century Construction Process of Prague’s Charles Bridge Unfold in a Meticulous Animation

Up until the mid-19th century, the only way to cross the Vltava River in Prague was to head over the gothic stone arches of the Charles Bridge. The project of King Charles IV, construction of the now iconic structure began in 1357 after a flood damaged the existing walkway. A short animation by Engineering and Architecture peers back into history to chronicle the centuries-old building process as it shows wooden trusses framing the structure and bricks seemingly sprinkling into place. While the video collapses decades of work into less than a minute, the Charles Bridge wasn’t complete until the early 15th century.

Find more of Engineering and Architecture’s construction studies on Instagram and YouTube. (via Laughing Squid)

 

Design

The World’s Longest Glass-Bottom Bridge Stretches Across the Lianjiang River in China

Extending 526.14 meters, a new glass-bottom bridge in China’s Huangchuan Three Gorges Scenic Area now ranks as the longest in the world. The lengthy structure is the project of the firm Architectural Design & Research Institute of Zhejiang University and looms 201 meters above the Lianjiang River. Bright red towers mark either end, with an 8.8-meter-wide deck running between them. Three layers of 4.5-centimeter-thick glass lined with steel compose the transparent bridge, which is suspended with cables and can hold 500 people. According to Dezeen, the previous record-holder was a wobbly 488-meter structure in China’s Hebei province.