Architectural Amazement: The Sundial Bridge in Redding, California

The expansive and expensive Sundial Bridge in Redding, California, is no doubt one of the most remarkable architectural designs in northern California. The $23.5 million dollar bridge (Mobley), an architectural masterpiece by Santiago Calatrava, is the most recent architectural addition to the town of Redding and the biggest tourist attraction. The pedestrian bridge that spans the Sacramento River connects the trail system with the Turtle Bay Exploration Park and McConnell Arboretum (Visit Redding). The construction for the bridge began in 1999, but the idea and the planning began years before, in 1995. In 1995, designers and city of Redding officials were thinking of building a bridge, but not just any bridge, a bridge that would be recognizable from across the state and a landmark for the north state (Mobley).

The Sundial Bridge most definitely separates itself from its surroundings. It is a rises above anything nearby and is recognizable from a distance. It stands out as an independent piece of art apart from Turtle Bay and the Sacramento River.

As a visitor walking across the bridge can feel the slight swaying. The gentle rocking back and forth can either be comforting or uneasy, depending on the visitor. The bridge's walkway is composed of glass panels so thick that a person can barely see through to the water below. The glass is lit up at night and glows against the dark river. Walking down the path, the huge cables are coming out of the pathway and shoot up the side of the sundial, to the very point of the pylon. The cables feel shaky, but at the same time, strong and sturdy. Nearing the pointed pylon, the vertical tower of the bridge, the enormity takes one's breath away. The massive wall shoots up and into a mast that point towards the sky. Following the path, a small curb of mosaics borders the walkway down to underneath the pylon and bridge. The mosaics then spread out to the entire wall beneath the pylon, emphasizing the intricate detail put into the bridge. The mosaics continue throughout the wall and bordering the sidewalk and the riverbank. The underside is just as beautiful and amazing as the bridge itself.

The actual pylon is 217 feet high and the bridge is 700 feet long and 23 feet wide. The bridge is a steel structure with galvanized steel cables. The deck materials are made up of non-skid glass panels in the steel framework with granite accents. The foundation used 115 tons of rebar and 1,900 cubic yards of concrete; and the superstructure had 400 tons of steel including 200 tons of glass and granite for the deck. There are 4,342 feet of cable (which could stretch across more than 14 football fields) and 580 tons of steel for the pylon. It weighs 3.2 million pounds/1,600 tons (Turtle Bay). The Sundial Bridge, in no way blends into the background of Turtle Bay and the Sacramento River, it defines them.

The sundial does actually tell time. The sundial must be aligned correctly with the earth's axis for it to tell accurate time more frequently. Since the Sundial Bridge was made to span a narrow portion of the Sacramento River, it could not be aligned at the correct degrees. Because of this, and because the angle of the style must be exactly equal to the latitude for which the dial is designed, it can only tell time for one day a year, June 21 (Visit Redding).

The Sundial Bridge was welcomed by some and unpopular with others. According to the Record Searchlight newspaper reporter, Scott Mobley, some residents saw the bridge as "bold and visionary. Others said the glass-decked span did not belong in unpretentious Redding" (Mobley). Some residents thought it was unnecessary, but many thought it was a unique addition. Sundial Bridge had its grand opening on July 4, 2004 (Turtle Bay).

Despite the common belief among visitors, and some local residents, the Sundial Bridge is not one of a kind. Calatrava designed one almost identical to the Sundial Bridge in Seville, Spain, that spans the Guadalquivir River and is named the Alamillo Bridge. The Alamillo was complete in 1992 when Spain decided to host Expo 92 (Alamillo Bridge). Although there are differences, for example, the Alamillo Bridge is made out of concrete and the Sundial is created from steel. There are two sets of cables at the Alamillo and only one at Sundial Bridge.

Romans also used mosaics like the those used at the Sundial Bridge. The ancient culture decorated the floors of houses, temples, and other buildings. The curb of the sidewalk and the massive wall underneath the pylon were all covered in mosaics of white tile. The tile matches the rest of the bridge, white, bright and intricate/complex (page 155). The Hagia Sophia in Constantinople was a beautiful and inspiring building, another architectural masterpiece that used mosaics. It has been said that the thousands of tesserae (mosaics) that were set into the walls added to the magical effect of the Hagia Sophia. The Sundial Bridge walkway curbs and the wall under the pylon are made up of thousands of pieces of mosaic pressed into the wall that also adds to the overall magical effect of the awe-inspiring bridge (page 185). The light and the bright white of the bridge combined create a heavenly appearance.

Works Cited

AlamilloBridge. Absolute Astronomy, Reference, category: Bridges, Alamillo Bridge. Absolute Astronomy. 16 October 2005.

Lamm, Robert C. The Humanities In Western Culture. Revised 4^th Ed. Brief Version Hong Kong: McGraw-Hill, 2004.

Mobley, Scott. "SundialBridge is a 217-foot feather in Redding's cap". Redding Special, Sundial Bridge, Record Searchlight. 16 October 2005.

TurtleBayExplorationPark. Turtle Bay Exploration Park, Sundial Bridge. 16 October 2005.

Visit Redding. Visit Redding, Sundial Bridge. Visit Redding. 16 October 2005. www.visitredding.org/sundial.cfm.