Bridge by Da Vinci
It’s like something has been proved 500 years later. Yes, that is exactly what happened in Norway. To put it simply, Leonardo da Vinci designed a bridge, which the critics at that time said that it could not be built. However, after all these years, this “Mona Lisa of bridges” has been successfully constructed and has been named the Golden Horn Bridge.
Source: Bridge Museum
Did you know when the first sketch of this bridge was made? It was way back in the year 1501. The length of the bridge thus designed was 240 meters long and is a single span bridge. It has been built on top of the Golden Horn, a natural inlet of water, hence the name.
Quite interestingly, this is the first time that a long, single-span bridge is being proposed. Are you wondering why the bridge was not constructed for all these years? Firstly, the critics at that time did not let that happen. Moreover, the construction methods that are required were not available in those times, at least until 300 years after the design has been made by Leonardo Da Vinci. It was thought to be a too advanced model for the builders of that time.
But who took the initiative to build the bridge from the design? It is contemporary Norwegian artist Vebjorn Sand who saw the design of the bridge at an exhibition and took interest. He proposed to the Norwegian Public Roads to undertake the project of constructing this bridge. In the next few years, the artist devoted his time and efforts to oversee the construction of Leonardo’s dream into reality.
This is actually the first time that Leonardo Da Vinci’s architectural designs have been made into a reality. Many models have been built. However, this is the first time something has been built for public use. Leonardo Da Vinci truly was a futuristic civil engineer!
