Lucky Knot: The Striking Red Bridge in China That Intertwines Three Walkways
When civil engineering and architecture combine, the result is always magnificent. Such is the case of this unorthodox bridge in China that is actually three bridges woven into one.
Staying away from the standard flat pavement and the concrete colors and instead striking and twisting in red, the Lucky Knot bridge adds to the newly redeveloped city center of Changsha in China.
The pedestrian steel bridge was designed by Next Architects after they won the project with their design proposal in an international competition in 2013, reveals a partner at the firm in Amsterdam Michel Schreimachers. Not only does the bridge please the eyes, it also serves a function in water management.
He adds, “Next’s designs for both international and national clients distinguish themselves for their singular relationship with their surroundings, their enhancing of the experience of the specific location, and their added value to the site.
“This is also the case in Changsha. The city is growing and changing rapidly. This context called for a unique gesture to inspire passers-by,” he adds.
Next Architects Beijing partner Jiang Xiaofei weighs in to the symbolism of the bridge. “The Lucky Knot is more than a bridge and a connection between two river banks. Its success lays in bringing cultures together, and in the fusion of history, technology, art, innovation, architecture and spectacle.”
The 185-meter bridge extends over a highway and the Dragon King Harbor River, sitting at the New Lake district. It leaves a vertical clearance 24 meters high for the boats passing beneath. Lucky Knot is easily accessible with eight street entrances, which passes one of the three separate walkways the entire bridge intertwines.
Schreimachers describes the five overlapping areas common to the three bridges as “moon gates”. The bridge, as a whole, copies the design of roller coaster tracks. More than just connecting the two sides, Lucky Knot serves as a pedestrian playground.
Lucky Knot bridge is so-called because of the Chinese knot. According to Schreimachers, the knot stands for luck and prosperity in ancient Chinese folk art; while the color red represents good fortune joy.
John van de Water, a partner at Next Architects Beijing, reiterates, “The shape of the Lucky Knot was inspired by the principle of the mobius ring, as well as by the Chinese knotting art.
This isn’t the only unconventional bridge design by Next Architects. Previously, they built a bridge in a floodplain in Netherlands which can be submerged in water.
Sources: Design Boom | Business Insider
