Bridges. Victoria Charles
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Location: Summer Palace, Beijing, China – Crosses: Kunming Lake,
Material and type: Moon bridge, stone, pedestrian bridge
Dimensions: length: 150 m, width: 8 m, arches: 17 – Construction: 1750
The bridge opposite is located in the gardens of the Summer Palace in Beijing, the former summer residence of the Chinese imperial family. It connects South Lake Island, one of three islands in the city’s lake, to the east bank. The longest stone bridge in the gardens, it has seventeen arches, a number chosen for its significance in Chinese numerology and Taoist philosophy. The number eight symbolises luck and wealth in Mandarin Chinese, and nine is an auspicious number for emperors, also bringing them good fortune. The railing is adorned with 544 stone lions, no two identical. Majestic, vigorous and protective against evil spirits, lions often adorn Chinese architecture and are considered guardians.
Puente Nuevo
Location: Málaga, Andalusia, Spain. Crosses: Guadalevín
Architects: José Martin de Aldehuela and Juan Antonio Díaz Machuca
Material and type: Arch bridge, stone, road bridge. Construction: 1759–1785
Tower Bridge
Location: London, England, United Kingdom. Crosses: River Thames
Architect: Sir Horace Jones – Engineers: Henry Marc Brunel and Sir John Wolfe Barry
Material and type: Bascule bridge, steel towers and deck, masonry veneers, road bridge
Dimensions: length: 286.5 m, longest span: 79 m
Construction: 1886–1894
In 1894, the United Kingdom’s Builder Magazine called the Tower Bridge ‘the most monstrous and preposterous architectural sham that we have ever known’. However, today this neo-Gothic structure is one of the most famous landmarks in London.
To construct the bridge, two enormous concrete piers were sunk into the riverbed as anchors. The Tower Bridge, whose central structure can be raised to permit the passage of boats, is connected to the banks of the River Thames by two suspended bridges. Although its frame was originally made from steel, the bridge was entirely covered in granite from Cornwall and stone from Portland to reinforce the construction.
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