The Helix Bridge designed by Cox Rayner Architects
is one of the few, if any, bridges in the world to be named after its
structure. In addition to its uniqueness of structure and form, it was
designed to respond to its particular setting at the opening of the
Singapore River to Marina Bay, a large inner harbour on which much of
the city is now focussed.
The concept derived initially from the desire to curve the plan of
the bridge so that it sweeps down onto promenades either side. This
‘arc’ was also means of curving the pedestrian bridge away from an
adjoining new vehicular bridge, also designed by the same team, while
enabling the two to connect at a mid-point.
The brief required the Helix Bridge to be canopied for shade and
shelter in the tropical climate. The notion of a tubular cross-section,
which allowed the canopy and deck to be integrated, evolved from this
requirement. The team found that a double spiral structure would utilise
up to five times less steel than a conventional box girder bridge, and
equally became excited about the prospect of such a structure making an
iconic statement about Singapore as a ‘green’, walking city.
Having selected the design in a 36 entry international design
competition, Singapore’s Urban Redevelopment Authority decided that it
should be constructed entirely in stainless steel. This decision enabled
the tubes, struts and ties to be finely crafted, the multiple
connection joints being designed to appear organic. These details, and
the helix form overall, led to the bridge being popularly compared to
the DNA molecule, with its connotations of ‘life-giving’ and
‘sustainability’.
photos ©Christopher Frederick Jones
Источник: http://www.evolo.us/architecture/helix-bridge-in-singapores-marina-bay-cox-rayner-architects/ | 
