Check out these great pics by Harry over at Jerusalemite, The Jerusalem Culture Guide, of internationally-acclaimed architect Santiago Calatrava’s Bridge of Strings. The photographic angle really shows the intricate steel cables of the bridge which both support the overpass for Israel’s light rail and soar above the city’s skyline weightlessly.
Personally, I love this bridge. Driving into Jerusalem, the harp-like steel suspension bridge pierces through the city’s skyline and makes me look upward - and with today’s spring skies it’s quite a pretty picture. But, as Jerusalemite reports, not everyone’s in a sunny disposition over Calatrava’s architectural wonder:
Outrageous traffic jams, increasing costs and even cracks (yes, cracks) in the bridge and other problems have made for a PR nightmare for the municipality. Many feel that the bridge is simply out of its element and question whether it even fits visually in the city.
What do you think? Should architecture as public art be made to conform to the rest of the city - in this case, older, made of Jerusalem-stone and angular in construction? Or by being different, does Calatrava’s Bridge of Strings introduce some new and modern sights snd sounds to the city’s ancient history?
Despite construction delays, Calatrava’s Bridge of Strings is set to be inaugurated on May 26th in honor of Israel’s 60th anniversary. More background on Calatrava and his design approach can be found in this New York Times article.
And more on-the-scene images and info of the bridge and other Jerusalem notables are at Jerusalemite. PS. And I have to write that this photograph was provided exclusively by Harry. And with many thanks for and acknowledgment of his talent.
UPDATE June 26, 2008: Check out the great photographs of Jerusalem’s June 25th dedication ceremony of the Bridge of Strings - including views of the dashing Calatrava himself - from
4 responses so far ↓
1 nikki // May 1, 2008 at 3:54 pm
i love the bridge. yes, j’lem is an ancient city with more than enough history to rival any european or asian city, but it is also the capital of a young, vibrant, forward-looking nation and there is no reason not to inject a bit of modernity into the city. i love the juxtaposition of new against old, and this contrast represents very much who we are as a people and as a country.
2 reader // May 3, 2008 at 7:12 am
Play it again and again and again, Santiago Calatrava. Calatrava has designed more than a dozen bridges in places all over the world, including a very similar-looking footbridge between Beilinson hospital and a mall in Petach Tikva. Doesn’t the main gateway to Jerusalem deserve something more unique? In my opinion, the old hedge at the city’s entrance that was trimmed to spell out Bruchim Habaim L’Yerushalaim had more local character than this expensive paean to Architectural Digest. For all its historical and religious glory, Jerusalem is at bottom a humble city known for its residents’ modest ways of life and architecture that is inspired by the surrounding stone hills.
Calatrava’s bridges are usually built over more inspiring scenery than the stretch of asphalt between the Central Bus Station and Kiryat Moshe (the footbridge over Jabotinsky St. in Petach Tikva is an exception). While the chord bridge will no doubt become a new emblem for Jerusalem, it will probably register as only a minor addition in Calatrava’s own portfolio.
Then there’s the question of its price. After cost overruns, the estimated cost of the bridge is 300 million NIS. That’s a lot of money for Israel’s poorest city, especially when you consider that the bridge will only carry the light rail train.
3 zevan // May 5, 2008 at 2:02 am
The artist/photographer who goes by the name of “Harry” has truely captured the essence of this bridge. It’s beauty and it’s flaws.
What else can you tell us about this “Harry”
and where else can we view his photographs.
What galleries is he showing in ?
4 Ziva // May 28, 2008 at 7:29 pm
Couldn’t have said it better myself, dear readers. Driving underneath the bridge the other day, I was truly taken aback by the magnitude and beauty of the bridge. And I think that’s the whole point - especially in Jerusalem.
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