DOUBLE YOU: Brisbane Bridges and a touch of Santiago Calatrava

There has been a lot of talk about Bridges in Brisbane of late. We have had quite a few new ones going in over the last few years and opinion is divided, i dont really like to dwell on the negative so will leave it up to you to decide! First up the new Brisbane Bridges...

The Eleanor Schonell Bridge spanning from Dutton Park to the University of Queensland is colloquially known as 'the green bridge' as it is closed to general vehicles and used only by pedestrians and public buses. It has also been used by one Lizzie and Suzie more than once to wander over for a game of tennis or to visit the beautiful UQ Campus, and Lizzie accidently drove over it once, thats another story. See Lizzies post here on our recent Visit to UQ. The bridge was designed by Denton Corker Marshall, check out their website to see the original design which had beautiful webbing between the pillars, must have been cost cut. More information here Wikipedia - Eleanor Schonell Bridge (photo below via abc.net.au)

The Good Will Bridge, designed by Cox Architects, spans from the maritime museum and south end of South Bank across to the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) and the city. It is a pedestrian bridge, closed to traffic. It is something I use regularly, makes my walk to the city easy and there is a nice coffee van halfway for a cuppa. Wikipedia - Goodwill Bridge (photo via Cox Architects)

Our newest bridge, The Kurilpa Bridge (also designed by Cox Architects) links Brisbane City to Southbank and GOMA (The Gallery of Modern Art, also Lizzies workplace). Publicly it has been a fairly contentious design, the public are still out on whether it is yay or nay. I must say in the photos I have found online it does come up well and any experimental design is a step in the right direction, whether it suits it surroundings at the constricted area of the reach I am undecided. Do you design a bridge as a focal point or do you aim for understated to emphasis the beauty of the river and surrounds? Wikipedia - Kurilpa Bridge (photo below via brisbanetimes.com.au)

I couldn't have all this discussion on bridges without mentioning my favourite bridge designer, one Santiago Calatrava. Qualified as both an architect and engineer, he has done some truly beautiful work. See below.
Wikipedia - Santiago Calatrava

Puente del Alamillo Seville (image viaWikimedia Commons)