The Merchant Square Bridge, designed by Knight Architects, is planned for construction in Paddington, London. Inspired by the traditional Japanese fan, which expands and fans out to its full shape, the hydraulic pedestrian bridge consists of five cantilevered steel beams. Rotating on an axis, the beams stagger to form a fan-like shape, while providing a 66-foot long, 9.9-foot wide path for pedestrians to make it across the Grand Union Canal. While the construction meets function in this way, the architects recognize its second merit as a "kinetic sculpture."
[via HUH]
