Bridges
The Brooklyn Bridge of New York and the Golden Gate Bridge of California are both remarkable accomplishments of American architects and engineers. Both of the bridges are beautiful, complex and incredibly useful and impressive. Since the two bridges were built at different points in time, in different places, and by different people, the structural design of the two bridges are each unique in their own way. The fact that each bridge still stands today in the same form and design, with only renovations and reinforcements when necessary, says a lot about how present day citizens of New York City and San Francisco value their bridges.
The Brooklyn Bridge was completed in 1883. It is a suspension/cable-stay bridge. It was 50% longer than any bridge of that type that had been built before, measuring at 5,989 feet. I think that says a lot about the time in which this bridge was created. People were wanting to stretch the bounds of what they knew to be as bridges, and they wanted it to be astonishing. A lot of pain, hardship and suffering was endured by those who wished to see the success of the construction. I think that may be a large part of the reason the bridge stands as a symbol of pride, hope and awe to the people who live around it and to those who travel to come see it. The style of the bridge gives a dark and eerie feeling, like the color scheme they chose for it. Perhaps the most amazing spectacle of the bridge is the network of cables used as supports. The photography that has been captured of the bridge seems to really show the complexity of all the cables and wires and how they cross and connect. People don’t want to change the design of this bridge, even though it’s dated, because it remains an outstanding feat even to this day. It reminds the citizens of the dreams that architects and engineers before them had for the city.
The Golden Gate Bridge was completed in 1937. The structural design of the bridge is very similar to the Brooklyn Bridge. The big issue with the construction of this bridge was the natural weather patterns in the San Francisco area that could be hazardous to the design, like super strong wind and fog. The bridge itself is much slimmer than the Brooklyn Bridge, and much longer at 8,981 feet, stretching well over one mile. This probably means that a bit more knowledge concerning bridge building was circling around at this time, and engineers were beginning to learn how to make a bridge more efficient with less material. One of the designers suggested a thin roadway that would flex with the wind and allow the bridge to be more stable. The huge towers and bright orange color reveal that the people wanted it to be iconic, and it sure is. Photos that are taken of the Golden Gate are angled to showcase the bright color and the height and size of the bridge. The persistence of this bridge’s design, and in this case especially the color of it, shows the pride that is invested in this architectural landmark. After all, every visitor to San Francisco has got to get a good view of the Golden Gate Bridge.