When designing a bridge, most cities do everything they can to ensure the stability of the structure, keeping in mind how strict modern safety regulations usually are.
Such was the case in London, when authorities decided that the mildly thrilling experience of traipsing across the Millennium Bridge was just too much for pedestrians to bear. The bridge was closed after just two days, before being reinforced at a cost of some £5 million pounds and reopened two, long years later.
Not so in France, where the spirit of adventure refuses to die…
Inspired by a competition launched by Parisian officials to come up with the best design for a new bridge in the French capital, architects at Atelier Zündel Cristea have just unveiled ambitious plans for an inflatable trampoline bridge that would let commuters literally ‘bounce’ their way across the River Seine.
Inflatable bridge could let you somersault your way across the Seine
Responding to calls for a “new icon or landmark” to complement the existing 37 bridges that currently span the river, the architects came up with a truly radical proposal:
“It appears to us that Paris already has the bridges and passages necessary for the flow of vehicular and pedestrian traffic across its waterways. Our intention is to invite its visitors and inhabitants to engage on a newer and more playful path across this same water.”
The design calls for three inflatable, giant rings secured together, with trampoline netting stretched across them – pedestrians wishing to cross the bridge would be compelled to hop, skip and somersault their way from ring to ring, experiencing a thrilling “ release from gravity” as they bounce across the Seine.
Architects plan to inflate the 30-meter diameter rings with 3,700m³ of air. The structure would be self-supporting too, secured by cord and held in tension, forming a series of three arches. To access the bridge, pedestrians would need to climb up a cantilevered staircase, before dismounting on a slide at the other end.
The bridge is formed of three giant, inflatable rings with netting across their centers
Sadly though, despite winning the competition, health and safety concerns mean that the Paris’ trampoline bridge is unlikely to be given the go ahead anytime soon.
Images courtesy of Atelier Zündel Cristea