A curvaceous new footbridge inspired by the Mobius strip has opened in Changsha, China, that offers pedestrians a variety of different routes across the Dragon King Harbour River. At 185 meters long and 24 meters high “Lucky Knot Bridge” rises and falls across its course offering spectacular views of the river, Meixi Lake, the city of Changsha and the surrounding mountain range.
The bridge’s designer, NEXT Architects —who has offices in Amsterdam and Beijing— was invited to take part in an international competition to design a new bridge to be constructed in Changsha's rapidly developing ‘New Lake District’, about three years ago. The winning design —the Lucky Knot— was inspired as much by the Mobius strip as the ancient Chinese art of decorative knotting. In Chinese folk art, the knot symbolizes luck and prosperity. The bridge, which connects multiple levels —the river banks, the road and a park— at different heights, literally and metaphorically knots all these routes together.
Photo credit: www.nextarchitects.com
“The Lucky Knot is more than a bridge and a connection between two river banks. Its success lays in bringing cultures together, and in the fusion of history, technology, art, innovation, architecture and spectacle,” NEXT architects Beijing partner Jiang Xiaofei said.
Photo credit: www.nextarchitects.com
Photo credit: www.nextarchitects.com
Photo credit: www.nextarchitects.com
What about people in wheelchairs or on crutches or with severe arthritis? I think the bridge is gorgeous but as someone with bad joints, all the stairs made me quail.
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