I have seen many beautiful architectural pieces online, but I don't think I have ever seen one quite like this one.
A masterpiece by Peter Kuczia, this solar activation footbridge won many awards, one of them being a Gold Winner in the MUSE Design Awards. See these bridges here:
Created by Peter Kuczia's architectural firm, KUCZIA Architects, the solar footbridges are beautiful to look at, and practical to a tee.
"Like many other metropolises, Beijing has a great number of footbridges traversing busy arteries. They are often unattractive, downgrading the overall urban impression." Peter said. "Our idea of cladding the unsightly pedestrian bridges with aesthetic, power generating photovoltaic modules and converting them into appealing city spots is not only sustainable, but creates sculptural diversity that becomes a cityscape eye-catcher. The footbridges can serve as landmarks in the city: 'Let´s meet under the Pagoda Footbridge'."
"I'm pretty convinced that cultural heritage has a huge impact on the design process and its outcomes. Being a judge in international competitions I am often confronted with the cultural differences of competition entries," Peter said when asked about the differences between German and Chinese cultures.
"Our goal was to create an integrated system of sustainable urban structures with distinguishable visual appearance which will shape the cityscape."
These solar bridges are beautiful and deeply ingrained in the modern Chinese architectural styles of arches and bends, allowing it to not only light up the city, but also evoke the feeling of silent modernism that truly beautifies the city.
If you're in Beijing, China for a trip, why don't you visit this bridge for a change?
Interested to see more beautiful architecture like this? Check out MUSE Design Awards and its amazing winners here.