In Calgary, a new 126 m long "Bridge of Peace" has opened, designed by the Valencia-based architect Calatrava. It provides walking and cycling links between the city park and the city center. The bridge has three lanes for traffic: cyclists can maneuver in the center, while pedestrians can move safely along the raised side paths.
The openwork structure consists of intertwining steel spirals. Its upper openings are covered with tempered glass plates to protect pedestrians from snow and rain. the bright red color of the bridge emphasizes the vibrant autumn foliage of Canadian forests and parks, including those adjacent to the "Bridge of Peace". The lighting is integrated into the frame and railings, providing soft illumination of the pavement, which is primarily needed by pedestrians.
Another Calatrava Bridge officially opened last week in a suburb of Dallas. This is the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge over the Trinity River, named after a public figure, the eldest daughter of Texas oil tycoon Harold Lafayette Hunt. It is the first Calatrava road bridge in the United States - and the first in a series of development projects under the $ 2.2 billion Downtown Dallas 360 Plan.
Construction began in 2007, although the idea for the bridge dates back to the 1990s, when the city first thought about an alternative road linking the city center to the western suburbs of Dallas. Calatrava was selected by officials on the recommendation of the Texas architecture firm Halff & Associates.
The leitmotif of the building, like all of Calatrava's work, was the synthesis of engineering and design. Most likely, the architect was inspired by Ero Saarinen's famous Gateway to the West arch in St. Louis. However, the pillars of the St. Louis arch are somewhat heavier, while the curvilinear shape of the Calatrava Bridge looks light.
The suspension bridge is supported by 58 cables of various sizes (from 10 to 20 cm in diameter) that connect the arch to the center line of the roadway. The steel parts of the arch were produced in Italy by Cimolai and were assembled there “in test mode” to ensure that all the elements of the grandiose (570 m long, 36 m wide and 120 m high) structure were consistent with the projected size and weight. … This is the first of three Calatrava bridges to appear in Dallas.
A. G.
