Avant-garde bridges, the brand image of architects

In the past, bridges were primitive arches, built in wood, in stone, then in metal, to make moving about easier. Initially conceived to allow persons and goods to cross a river or a mountain pass, today, the structures of these spans symbolize not only the progress of our era in terms of conception, but also technological advancement.

Contemporary bridges, the avant-garde signature of architects

By creating works in 3D, architects and engineers merge both style and technique to produce spectacular and luminous gangways, by day and by night. And if most of them are conceived exclusively in order to allow motorized vehicles to transit, some also welcome pedestrians and bicycles on « apron platforms » that radically transform the landscapes.

In Singapore, the Helix bridge, imagined by Philip Cox, is a pedestrian gangway that enables to reach the Marina Bay Sands Hotel. © DR

Forming a buckle, this bridge on the Garzon laguna, in Uruguay, is the work of the Rafael Vinoly cabinet of architects. © DR

Between Graz and Styria, in Austria, the bridge by New Yorker Vito Acconci has created an artificial island on the Mur river. © DR

Bridges around the world

Each country rivals in order to capture the talents of artists who will create bridges with the most unusual shapes. Around the world, they already link Europe to Asia, in Turkey, Asia to Africa, in Egypt, while China unfolds a monumental platform of 165 kilometres in the province of Jiangsu. The time is not that far when bridges will be able to link entire continents together…

In the American state of Iowa, the High Trestle Trail is a hiking path conceived by the engineers of Snyder and Associates. © DR

Equipped with LED projectors, the very futuristic Al Meydan bridge, in Dubai, is signed by the Thom + MD DesignLab cabinet of architects. © DR