- Address: Linking between Marina Bay and Marina Center, Singapore 038981, Singapore (between Marina Bay Marina and Marina Center)
- Length: 280 m
- Opening: July 18, 2010
Singapore's modern architectural style never ceases to amaze with new and futuristic projects, and from year to year attracts millions of tourists to explore the city that lives and is built by feng shui. The floating stadium , the diamond hotel Marina Bay Sands, the Ferris wheel , Gulf Gardens - all these facilities are located in the bay of Marina Bay, and for each of them you can now admire endlessly from the Helix Bridge, another construction masterpiece of Singapore.
Bridge construction
The Helix Bridge connects the center of the bay and the Marina Bay area. Officially, the bridge was opened twice: the first half of the bridge on April 24, 2010, because to terminate it temporarily interfered with the construction site of a world-famous hotel, and the second half of July 18 of the same year. The bridge has a length of 280 meters and looks very elegant and compact about a six-lane highway. The word "Helix" translates as a spiral, this is the first thing that comes to mind when you first see an amazing bridge. It is made of steel with decorated glass elements, and is similar not only to a spiral, but also a DNA molecule, the progenitor of an architectural idea.
Singaporeans are able not only to surprise, but also to set serious tasks for the implementation of their projects. In addition to the fact that the bridge was to be visually light and elegant and necessarily beautiful, it must be arc-shaped in shape, as well as protect pedestrians from heat and tropical precipitation and be sure to fulfill all the requirements of the Feng Shui Committee, which considers absolutely all applications for construction in Singapore.
The bridge specialists from the international architectural coalition projected the bridge: Australians Cox Group, Architects 61 from Singapore and the world famous English company Arup. There were several ideas, but in the end, the "DNA model" became the undisputed leader. It is particularly visible in the dark, when the entire Helix Helix double helix is illuminated with ribbons of LED highlights, which, by the way, are controlled from a special control center. In the asphalt sheet colored letters are also embossed, also illuminated at night - C, G, T, A, which remind us of the basic substances of the DNA molecule: cytosine, guanine, thymine and adenine. According to the idea of the creators, the idea of the bridge should be associated with life in the universe, renewal and integrity.
Structure of the bridge
The bridge is built of two steel tubular spirals, which are reinforced with rings of rigidity, and rests on concrete platforms. It has three central spans of 65 meters and two ends spanning 45 meters. The shadow of the bridge is provided by a combination of a perforated mesh made of special glass. The statisticians calculated that if all the spiral tubes of the bridge were united in a single line, then a steel channel of 2250 meters long would be obtained. The weight of the bridge is approximately 1,700 tons. For the Helix bridge, steel was transported from Europe to the workshops of Johor, where the bridge components were already made about 11 meters long for easy transportation. In order not to delay the construction of the bridge, all the elements were preliminarily connected before shipment, excluding operational errors.
According to the project, four rounded viewing balconies under the awnings were built on the bridge, each with a capacity of one hundred people. They offer a magnificent view of the beauty of the bay, the embankment and its skyscrapers. The seats are equipped with seats, which are used by pedestrians and tourists, and local residents during festive shows, fireworks and events on a floating stadium.
In the year of the opening, the bridge immediately received a serious award "World's Best Transport Building" at the World Architecture Festival Awards 2010. Since then, it has been awarded annually with various prestigious awards at various exhibitions. Similar similar designs have not yet been built anywhere.
How to get there?
The bridge is located in the heart of Singapore, it seems to connect one of the most beautiful museums in Singapore - the Museum of Art and Science - on the same shore and the floating stadium on the other. To confuse it with any other you just can not. To get to it easily on the metro : stop - Bayfront MRT station.
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