Iconic Bridge Structure, 2009
Concept for an Iconic Bridge Structure as part of Metro Gold Line in California, Commissioned by the Woodlawn Foundation,
An iconic structure has to have a strong, essentially simple gesture. I chose the circle for its reference to the wheel, movement and speed. Fully aware that the vast majority of those who see this bridge do so from the vehicles that pass beneath it, I wanted to heighten that experience so that it feels as if one is passing ‘through’ the opening. This would be true for the passengers in the trains as well as in the cars. The challenge was to have both those who pass below and those who pass in the train slip through the circle as if through a portal into another space. By rotating the axis of the circle so that the ends land on either side of the bridge, there is a subtle but dynamic surprise. The cables that provide structural as well as visual power weave a play of lines. From a distance the circular arch is a strong graphic element growing more powerful as one approaches it. Like a marker to distinguish time and space, one would be aware of your shifting place in relation to it.
Lighting at night would be an important component to create the drama of an iconic structure. Colored LEDs whose long life and low energy consumption can be programmed to shift color and intensity. The lighting could possibly respond either to train or car traffic for an animated light show.
