ICONIC BRIDGE

This is a short project that I had in mind for a long time. Its hero is the Erasmus Bridge of Rotterdam, a 2641 feet long bridge across the New Meuse designed by Ben van Berkel (UNStudio) . Right from its opening (1996) the bridge became an icon of the city, re-baptized by the citizens endearingly as ‘The Swan’ or ‘The Harp’. What makes the Erasmus bridge stand out is that all cables on which it is hanging are connected to only one pylon of 456 feet high; cable-stayed bridges used to have two pylons, one on either side. Even more amazing is the shape of this pylon, arising from a prominent base and having a kink at about two thirds of its height. Together these features give the bridge its lean and elegant silhouette . The Erasmus is difficult to photograph from the riverside at full length and height without hiring a boat or a helicopter. Most of its pictures are far-away ones. Close to the bridge however the city has recently erected a huge building designed by Rem Koolhaas of MoMa, another famous Rotterdam architect. My hunch that one of its higher floors would offer an ideal position to shoot the bridge came true recently, when I rented a hotel room on the 14th floor of this building for a weekend. The special weather conditions were for free. What they did to this bridge only adds to its beauty.