This is the first completed construction of Leavith's own workshop: work on it began even when the architect was part of the Bureau of "Future Systems". However, she claims that for the last 5 years she and Jan Kaplicky have worked separately, so the Dublin Bridge is entirely her project.
It is thrown across the Royal Canal and is designed for two lanes of vehicles, two lines of tram tracks and sidewalks for pedestrians. As a result, the 40 m long bridge reaches almost the same width. As a result, its proportions initially did not have the gracefulness inherent in such structures, and to give it "elegance" Amanda Leavith decided to turn it into an object of sculpture.
Its supports smoothly flow into the canvas of the main part, which expands on the sides: there are small viewing platforms in the form of fins or wings. Thanks to its organic form, the bridge has become a part of the urban landscape and the park created on the banks of the canal by the French bureau Agence Ter.
Leavitt emphasized that the client's constraints left no room for "design tricks," perhaps hinting at the nearby James Joyce Santiago Calatrava Bridge. Instead, the quality of its material, white concrete, was highlighted. To achieve a purer white color, white limestone and white cement were used for the concrete. To make the surface of its surfaces as smooth as possible (visitors can see it up close, following the path under the bridge along the canal), high-density polystyrene formwork with a plastic coating was used. This surface not only contrasts favorably with the dark channel water, but also becomes the ideal "screen" for bright illumination in the dark.
Although the bridge is complete, it will not open to traffic until next year, when tram lines will be laid across it and the surrounding park will be ready.
