Studio Week 1: Santiago Calatrava - Alamillo Bridge in Seville

http://www.homesthetics.net/alamillo-bridge-in-seville-by-santiago-calatrava/ (accessed 7/8/13)

http://www.deutsches-museum.de/en/exhibitions/transport/bridge-building/suspension-cable/ (accessed 7/8/13)

http://www.takatotamagami.net/works/journey/europe/spain.html (accessed 7/8/13)

http://aaablogs.uoregon.edu/stevenglassman/page/2/ (accessed 7/8/13)

http://www.worldisround.com/articles/68943/photo26.html (7/8/13)

The Alamillo Bridge by Santiago Calatrava interests me because it is so surreal. At first glance everyone would questions its ability to even stay up at any one time, let alone its ability to bare a load. Calatrava has designed this hugely amazing counterbalance to allow this bridge to become not just a piece of engineering, but a piece of art.

The bridge is classed as a cantilevered spar cable-stayed bridge. The cantilever is holding up the bridge with the 13 connecting cables, and the bridge is holding the cantilever back from falling. It is all a very delicate balancing act, and it pulls it off structurally well, and aesthetically well.