Oxford, England, United Kingdom
Architect: Sir Thomas Jackson
Material and type: Covered arch bridge, stone, pedestrian bridge. Completed: 1914
Khaju Bridge or Baba Roknoddin Bridge
Location: Isfahan, Iran. Crosses: Zayandeh Rud
Commissioner: Shah Abbas II
Material and type: Arch bridge, stone and brick
Dimensions: length: 126.5 m, width: 11.7 m, arches: 24
Completed: 1650
Constructed during the reign of Shah Abbas II around 1650, the Khaju Bridge forms a slight semicircle. Large buttresses on each end bear the majority of the weight of the structure. With its confused tangle of arches, this bridge is a remarkable example of architecture. It is built on two levels and extends over 100 metres long, serving also as a dam.
In addition to its function as a bridge, the Khaju Bridge helps to regulate the flow of the Zayandeh Rud river and also acts as a sluice gate, collecting water on one side for irrigation and enabling it to run to a lower level. The lower arches contain gates that can be closed if necessary to raise the water level upstream.
The pavilion located at the centre of the bridge was built as a vantage point from which the shah could admire the landscape. Scattered remnants of stone benches and some original paintings and faiences have survived since the initial construction.
Jade-Belt Bridge
Location: Summer Palace, Beijing, China – Crosses: Kunming Lake
Material and type: Moon bridge, marble and white stone, pedestrian bridge – Construction: 1751–1764
Seventeen Arches Bridge or Shiqikonqiao
Location: Summer Palace, Beijing, China – Crosses: Kunming Lake,
Material and type: Moon bridge, stone, pedestrian bridge
Dimensions: length: 150 m, width: 8 m, arches: 17 – Construction: 1750
The bridge opposite is located in the gardens of the Summer Palace in Beijing, the former summer residence of the Chinese imperial family. It connects South Lake Island, one of three islands in the city’s lake, to the east bank. The longest stone bridge in the gardens, it has seventeen arches, a number chosen for its significance in Chinese numerology and Taoist philosophy. The number eight symbolises luck and wealth in Mandarin Chinese, and nine is an auspicious number for emperors, also bringing them good fortune. The railing is adorned with 544 stone lions, no two identical. Majestic, vigorous and protective against evil spirits, lions often adorn Chinese architecture and are considered guardians.
Puente Nuevo
Location: Málaga, Andalusia, Spain. Crosses: Guadalevín
Architects: José Martin de Aldehuela and Juan Antonio Díaz Machuca
Material and type: Arch bridge, stone, road bridge. Construction: 1759–1785
Tower Bridge
Location: London, England, United Kingdom. Crosses: River Thames
Architect: Sir Horace Jones – Engineers: Henry Marc Brunel and Sir John Wolfe Barry
Material and type: Bascule bridge, steel towers and deck, masonry veneers, road bridge
Dimensions: length: 286.5 m, longest span: 79 m
Construction: 1886–1894
In 1894, the United Kingdom’s Builder Magazine called the Tower Bridge ‘the most monstrous and preposterous architectural sham that we have ever known’. However, today this neo-Gothic structure is one of the most famous landmarks in London.
To construct the bridge, two enormous concrete piers were sunk into the riverbed as anchors. The Tower Bridge, whose central structure can be raised to permit the passage of boats, is connected to the banks of the River Thames by two suspended bridges. Although its frame was originally made from steel, the bridge was entirely covered in granite from Cornwall and stone from Portland to reinforce the construction.
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