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An Amazing Folding Sailboat Bridge May Come to This Country...

Revolving Solar Sail bridge
Revolving Solar Sail bridge | © Margot Krasojević Architects

A new flexible, sailing bridge may be coming to Ordos City in China.

Revolving Solar Sail bridge

Margot Krasojević Architects announced a new design proposal today for a hydraulic floating bridge to cross China’s Wulanmulun River. The design is an innovative take on the folding bridge concept and can actually sail around the river to different destination points.

The bridge’s mobility would be made possible by sails made from lightweight aluminum, carbon fiber reinforced polymer and three flexible walkways that span across the river. According to the release, the main floating section of the bridge gives buoyancy to the expandable walkways, and a second “hydraulic telescopic secondary structure supports the pedestrian walkway.”

Revolving Solar Sail bridge

Resembling a futuristic bird on the water’s surface, Margot Krasojević Architects’ “Revolving Solar Sail bridge” is a stunning example of the intersection between architectural form and smart, sustainable design. The bridge’s three electric motor generators would be powered by solar panels which line the walkway, in an effort to utilize smart, sustainable materials in the design process.

Revolving Solar Sail bridge

The revolving pedestrian bridge “folds into multiple sections that stack into each other,” and can be “sailed into any location along the river or permanently positioned using Caisson foundations which are floated and sunk into position.” The sails have another function beyond utility: when lowered, they also act as a canopy for pedestrians in the seated area.

Revolving Solar Sail bridge

About the author

Amber was born in Washington, D.C. and relocated to NYC in 2007. She received an M.A. degree in Liberal Studies: Women's Studies, Gender, and Sexuality from CUNY's Graduate Center and University, and an honors B.A. in English from The City College of New York. Before coming to Culture Trip, she was the executive editor for Metropolitan Magazine, a boutique luxury lifestyle and arts publication, as well as the editor for ResidencyNY Magazine. In 2015, she also started her own company, ACS Media Services, and has over 8+ years experience as a writer/editor in the NYC area. As one of the original employees in Culture Trip’s New York City office, Amber focuses on three verticals: Design, Architecture, and Home and Interiors, exploring how creativity and design influences our contemporary social landscape. She lives in Brooklyn with her typewriter.

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