Juscelino Kubitschek Bridge
Normally I am a fan of symmetry but this is just cool:
Photo Courtesy of http://s299.photobucket.com/albums/mm311/arhitecturamoderna/?action=view¤t=jk_bridge_01.jpg
This should be everyone’s favorite steel arch suspension bridge and I shouldn’t have to explain why. Look at it! The architect and engineer who designed this (Alexandre Chan and Mário Vila Verde, respectively) have won some very much deserved awards for this bridge (the Gustav Lindenthal Medal and winner of Best Steel Work of the Year in 2003 from the Brazilian Metal Construction Association).
The arches look like the trajectory one may take if he or she were skipping over the roadway. It also reminds me of the path a checkers pieces would take as it jumped opposing pieces.
I am sure the calculations for this bridge were no walk in the park. In addition to the asymmetrical arches, the roadway is also curved and the cables holding it up alternate sides as the bridge goes along. I can’t even begin to think of how the engineer approached this. (That’s not true – I could; I just choose not to. :))
It was all worth it, though. There is enough space for everyone – motorists, cyclists and pedestrians – to enjoy the finished product. This is the essence of structural art. The people of Brazil should be proud.
Structures and Spans 
