Dramatic Skybridges; Architecture Trick to Show Off in Skyscraper Projects
Bridge structures that span buildings high up in mid-air are now a common trick for architects to show off in skyscraper projects. Among the earliest examples is the famous Bridge of Sighs in Venice, which was completed in 1600, but skybridges have become increasingly common and ambitious in recent years thanks to advances in engineering technology.
Below are 12 of the most arresting contemporary skybridges around the world:
DJI Sky City by Foster + Partners
China, 2022
British studio Foster + Partners's Shenzhen headquarters for drone manufacturer DJI consists of two 200-meter-tall skyscrapers linked by an open-air suspension bridge.
The bridge dizzying 105 meters above the ground and 90 meters long, is attached to the vertically slatted cores of its guardian towers.
Petronas Towers by César Pelli
Malaysia, 1998
Designed by late Argentine-American architect César Pelli, the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur arguably kicked off the wave of skybridges that have sprung up in the 21st century.
The towers were the tallest in the world between 1998 and 2004 at 451 metres, and remain the tallest twin towers on the globe.
Tencent Global Headquarters by NBBJ
China, 2018
Three large bridges clad in copper-colored aluminum louvres connect the towers of the Tencent Global Headquarters in Shenzhen, designed by NBBJ.
They were designed to encourage the tech company's workers not to become siloed in their individual departments. Between them, the bridges house a health center, a library, a running track, and a full-sized basketball court.
Marina Bay Sands by Safdie Architects
Singapore, 2011
Marina Bay Sands resort is now widely recognized as an architectural icon in Singapore. The complex's three 57-storey towers are topped by a sky garden that cantilevers out for 65 metres on one side.
This 9,941 square meter skybridge brings together a public observatory, jogging paths, gardens, restaurants, lounges, and an infinity swimming pool. It is 340 meters long from the northern tip to the south end (longer than the Eiffel Tower is tall).
Sky Habitat by Safdie Architects
Singapore, 2016
Another Singapore project by Safdie Architects, Sky Habitats consists of a pair of balcony-covered apartment towers linked by three aerial walkways.
The white truss bridges are intended to provide communal outdoor space for residents in the form of sky gardens and include a vertiginous swimming pool on the highest bridge.
The Crystal by Safdie Architects
China, 2020
At the Raffles City complex, The Crystal skybridge connects four 250-meter-tall skyscrapers.
Described by Safdie Architects as a "horizontal skyscraper", The Crystal is a 300-meter-long glass-and-steel tube containing gardens, bars, restaurants, a clubhouse, and a hotel lobby, with a transparent-bottomed viewing deck at one end.
CCTV Headquarters by OMA
China, 2012
Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas sought to redefine the traditional form of skyscrapers with the deconstructivist CCTV Headquarters in Beijing.
The 234-metre-tall building's two towers are connected on their upper floors by a 75-metre-long cantilevered linking element. This produces its distinctive overall shape, described as a "three-dimensional cranked loop".
American Copper Buildings by SHoP Architects
USA, 2017
Floors 27 to 29 of these bent Manhattan skyscrapers designed by SHoP Architects are connected by a skybridge that is 30 meters long and sits 91 meters above the ground.
The three-story bridge contains an indoor lap pool, a hot tub and a bar and lounge for residents of the luxury apartment complex.
Sky Pool by HAL
UK, 2021
The controversial Sky Pool is a transparent swimming pool bridge suspended 35 meters in the air between two buildings in south-west London.
The 25-metre-long swimming pool is made entirely from acrylic panels, allowing swimmers to look directly down to the ground below. However, the affordable housing residents of this development, whose windows look straight onto the pool, are not allowed to access it!
ME Dubai by Zaha Hadid Architects
UAE, 2020
Seen from the front, the ME Dubai hotel by Zaha Hadid Architects appears to be a giant cube with a large hole at its center. But the reverse view reveals it is in fact a pair of towers connected at the bottom and top, with a three-storey bridge suspended 71 meters in the air above the lower atrium.
Collins Arch by Woods Bagot and SHoP Architects
Australia, 2020
The tapered 164-metre-tall towers of Collins Arch, a mixed-use skyscraper in Melbourne, are linked at the top by an eight-story skybridge.
The skybridge connecting the two buildings is not simply decorative. It maximizes views and sunlight for office, hotel and residential occupants of the two buildings.
Bundang Doosan Tower by KPF
South Korea, 2021
KPF designed the Bundang Doosan Tower to mimic Seoul's historic city gates, with the two blocks topped by a 100-meter-high skybridge forming an open rectangle.
The offices in the skybridge are arranged around a large atrium with stepped seating that was designed to be a space where teams can meet and collaborate.
References:
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