Pedro E Ines
Encyclopedia
The Pedro E Ines footbridge
opened in 2007 in the University town of Coimbra, Portugal. It is designed by Cecil Balmond
.
Spanning the Rio Modego, the 600 ft structure marks the city's first footbridge and has become locally known as the "bridge that doesn't meet."
The form pushes the limits of structural dynamics
. Partly inspired by skipping stones
, ”, the design is created from two cantilevered walkways, joining in the middle to form a viewing platform. ”
Each walkway is responsible for supporting the other - the two halves are displaced, giving the visual effect of a bridge that does not meet. The bridge, "appears at first glimpse to be impossible," so states Wallpaper magazine. The balustrade is made from a clear, fractal pattern crafted in coloured blue, pink, green and yellow glass. " The bridge was done with Portuguese based architect
, Antonio Adao da Fonseca.
The bridge is called Pedro E Ines in reference to one of Portugal
's greatest love stories." Pedro, the Crown Prince of Portugal in fourteenth century was wed to Queen Constance of Castile
. He fell in love with the Queen¹s lady-in-waiting, Ines de Castro
. The lovers had a forbidden relationship that bore four illegitimate children. King Afonso IV wanted to stop the affair and sent three assassins in 1355 to murder Ines. Like the bridge¹s two halves that never meet, these star-crossed lovers were fated to never be together.
Footbridge
A footbridge or pedestrian bridge is a bridge designed for pedestrians and in some cases cyclists, animal traffic and horse riders, rather than vehicular traffic. Footbridges complement the landscape and can be used decoratively to visually link two distinct areas or to signal a transaction...
opened in 2007 in the University town of Coimbra, Portugal. It is designed by Cecil Balmond
Cecil Balmond
Cecil Balmond is a Sri Lankan/British designer, engineer, artist, architect, and writer. He has been hailed as "one of the most important forces in contemporary architecture today," and in 2003 received the prestigious RIBA Charles Jencks award for Theory in Practice. He is also the recipient of...
.
Spanning the Rio Modego, the 600 ft structure marks the city's first footbridge and has become locally known as the "bridge that doesn't meet."
The form pushes the limits of structural dynamics
Structural Dynamics
Structural dynamics is a subset of structural analysis which covers the behaviour of structures subjected to dynamic loading. Dynamic loads include people, wind, waves, traffic, earthquakes, and blasts. Any structure can be subject to dynamic loading. Dynamic analysis can be used to find dynamic...
. Partly inspired by skipping stones
Skipping Stones
"Skipping Stones" is a short story by Orson Scott Card. It first appeared in his short story collection Capitol and then later in The Worthing Saga.-Plot summary:...
, ”, the design is created from two cantilevered walkways, joining in the middle to form a viewing platform. ”
Each walkway is responsible for supporting the other - the two halves are displaced, giving the visual effect of a bridge that does not meet. The bridge, "appears at first glimpse to be impossible," so states Wallpaper magazine. The balustrade is made from a clear, fractal pattern crafted in coloured blue, pink, green and yellow glass. " The bridge was done with Portuguese based architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
, Antonio Adao da Fonseca.
The bridge is called Pedro E Ines in reference to one of Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
's greatest love stories." Pedro, the Crown Prince of Portugal in fourteenth century was wed to Queen Constance of Castile
Crown of Castile
The Crown of Castile was a medieval and modern state in the Iberian Peninsula that formed in 1230 as a result of the third and definitive union of the crowns and parliaments of the kingdoms of Castile and León upon the accession of the then King Ferdinand III of Castile to the vacant Leonese throne...
. He fell in love with the Queen¹s lady-in-waiting, Ines de Castro
Inês de Castro
Inês Peres de Castro was a Galician noblewoman born of a Portuguese mother...
. The lovers had a forbidden relationship that bore four illegitimate children. King Afonso IV wanted to stop the affair and sent three assassins in 1355 to murder Ines. Like the bridge¹s two halves that never meet, these star-crossed lovers were fated to never be together.