Samuel Beckett Bridge By Santiago Calatrava
By Jeffrey Hyatt
The Samuel Beckett Bridge was officially inaugurated in Dublin on December 10th, designed by world-renowned architect Santiago Calatrava. Designed to reduce vehicular traffic in Dublin’s city center, the structure links the north and southside of Dublin city over the River Liffey at the Dublin Docklands.
With a curved profile leaning northwards, the Samuel Beckett Bridge features four lanes, two for traffic with cycle tracks and pedestrian paths on either side, as well as room for trams, to be implemented in the future. To avoid disturbing maritime traffic, Calatrava also designed the bridge with the ability to rotate 90 degrees horizontally, enabling ships to pass. This is the second signature bridge Calatrava has designed for the city of Dublin; the first being the James Joyce Bridge which was completed in 2003. [via architectural review]
