Going around in circles has never been more scenic or enjoyable. The $11 million construction of the Laguna Garzón Bridge, which used over 450 tonnes of formed steel to build, has recently been completed. Argentinian real-estate developer, Eduardo Constantini invested $10 million into the project.
New York-based Uruguayan architect, Rafael Viñoly designed the innovative, circular bridge on Uruguay’s southern coast. The curvature of the concrete structure encourages drivers to slow down while driving and enjoy the panoramic views of the surrounding landscape. Viñoly explains to Dezeen Magazine, “The concept of the Puente Laguna Garzon was to transform a traditional vehicular crossing into an event that reduces the speed of the cars, to provide an opportunity to enjoy panoramic views to an amazing landscape, and at the same time create a pedestrian place in the centre.”
The ring-like structure made up of two semi-circular bridges, was built to replace a raft crossing between the cities of Rocha and Maldonado. Originally, cars would be loaded, one by one, onto rafts and floated across the stretch of water. Whereas just a handful of cars were patient enough to cross over before, some 1,000 vehicles will cross the new bridge every day. Additionally, the bridge will act as a tourist destination and hopefully ignite the development of Rocha’s largely untouched coastline.
Given the fascination surrounding the architect’s quirky design, there will no doubt be hype around Viñoly’s upcoming projects. The architect recently designed the tallest residential building in the western hemisphere located on 432 Park Avenue New York, which is set to open this year.
The Laguna Garzón Bridge, described as a “lagoon inside a lagoon,” will undoubtedly attract drivers and tourists. It seems the bridge acting as an observation deck, fishing spot and walking/driving route may actually have a point…
