Posted on 09/15/2013 8:29:27 AM PDT by GSWarrior
Whether they march or soar, straddle or slide, the best bridges take command of the landscape as though they were destined to be there all along.
By that standard, the new eastern span of the Bay Bridge falls short.
There's a lot to like about the 2.2-mile procession from Oakland to Yerba Buena Island. Small details catch you by surprise and the main attraction, the web of cables slung from a central tower to cradle the roadway within, has the feel of an airy cathedral inside. Viewed from afar, the white lines of steel radiate a gracious strength.
But the elements don't add up to something so powerful or profound that the $6.4 billion price tag becomes a bargain. The span that opened this month is an engineered act of architecture that wants to be iconic, and it doesn't measure up to the task.
If this seems like a high bar to set, there's a reason.
The reason the Bay Area is home to the world's largest self-anchored single-tower suspension bridge is that decision-makers insisted a seismically safe replacement for the original eastern span couldn't just be seismically safe. There was a "design task force" of politicians and dozens of public hearings before the current design approach was selected in 1998, more than 15 years ago.
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
A camel is a horse designed by a committee.
It was our current governor, Jerry Brown, who insisted as mayor-elect of Oakland that "we must create a spectacular structure" to "serve as a landmark which places Oakland there in the world imagination. "The squabbles over the design set a pattern of grandstanding and obstructions that knocked the project off course again and again.
California.
bookmark
Well, maybe they meant it’s called the White Span in the westbound direction toward San Francisco. But then, they neglected to say what it’s called in the eastbound direction toward Oakland ...
“The White Span”.......is the name given to the structure by Donald MacDonald, the San Francisco architect who worked with New York engineer Herbert Rothman as sub-consultants to refine the concept of the self-anchored suspension bridge for the design firms of record, T.Y. Lin International and Moffatt & Nichol Engineers.
Thats seems fairly reasonable.
albeit a bit covert.
by these standards the San Rafael RIchmond Bridge could us some renaming...
Emeryville.
Former home of Trader Vic’s.
How’s about we forget “iconic” (and “epic” etc.) for functional and fiscally responsible?
If they call it the Brown Bridge, both Willie and Jerry can take credit.
Downtown WIllie Brown and Guru Jerry Moonbeam Brown cant get no respect...
I agree, pretty boring.
The “White Span” name will fall soon after “Redskins”, and we all know that’s not long from now.
I think the new international trade crossing bridge over the Detroit will look better. The fact that Canada is picking up 95% of the tab makes it more attractive before a single bulldozer fires up.
well crafted... isn't this the one with all the bolt problems???
I kind of like the old truss bridges because they are so unpretentiously urban and blue collar. They’re just there to get the job done. They remind of the theme to Taxi:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1QJ8ijnNxM
If you’re going to make an artistic statement, you’ve got to go all out. It can’t be side by side with the old school bridge.
Well duh, it takes a while for something to become truly iconic.
Looks like a bad PhotoShop job. Man, that IS ugly.
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