Abstract:
This paper reviews the history of aesthetics in bridge design, discusses what constitutes aesthetic judgment, and presents some guidelines on aesthetic bridge design. The guidelines refer to unity of form and harmony, contrast in form and mass, good proportion, appearance of strength and stability, clearly expressed statical form, and ornamentation. Concluding remarks concern the importance of consulting an architect, artist, or sculptor who is qualified and experienced in the design of solid forms and who preferably has some understanding of bridge structures and design, and the importance of assessing the competitiveness of a bridge design not entirely in terms of financial cost, but also in terms of aesthetic principles and environmental concerns.
