Zubizuri

The Zubizuri ( Basque for "white bridge"), also called the Campo Volantin Bridge or Puente del Campo Volantin, is a tied arch footbridge across the Nervion River in Bilbao, linking the Campo Volantin right bank and Uribitarte left bank of the river. The bridge was designed by architect Santiago Calatrava, who also designed the city's Loiu Airport. The design consists of an inclined structural steel arch linking two platforms, with access ramps an... more

The Zubizuri ( Basque for "white bridge"), also called the Campo Volantin Bridge or Puente del Campo Volantin, is a tied arch footbridge across the Nervion River in Bilbao, linking the Campo Volantin right bank and Uribitarte left bank of the river. The bridge was designed by architect Santiago Calatrava, who also designed the city's Loiu Airport. The design consists of an inclined structural steel arch linking two platforms, with access ramps and stairways on both banks. The curved steel bridge deck is suspended by steel cables. The structure is painted white, as with other Calatrava designs. It offers pedestrians a convenient route from hotels to the nearby Bilbao Guggenheim Museum. It was opened to the public in 1997. Since its opening, it has been subjected to praise as a symbol of the new Bilbao and as a draw for tourism. Architectural professor Alexander Tzonis wrote: "The intelligence, vitality, and originality of the bridge's curved configuration challenged the ordinariness... less