Client: City of Chandler, Arizona

Location: Chandler, AZ, United States

Completion date: 2013

Artwork budget: $750,000

Project Team

Artist

Laurie Lundquist

Willco Art and design

Architect

Elitza Mladenova

Willco Art and Design inc. affiliate

Landscape Architect

J2 Landscape Architect

Industry Resource

Dan Heller, Engineer

TV Lin International

Overview

FLIGHT BRIDGE, 2014. Hwy 101, Chandler, Arizona. The Galveston Road Pedestrian Bridge is a curved span that sweeps high in the middle creating an optimistic high bay space over the 101 freeway. is 400 ft long, 12; wide and 14′ tall at highest point. The bridge span is a steel box girder, The safety cage is chain link and the shade sails are durable UV resistant woven PVC fabric.

Goals

This overpass links residential complexes to a popular regional model airplane field in Thud park. Enthusiasm for the flight activity inspired the flock of shade wings that appear to sail through the atrium. There is a strong legacy of aeronautical engineering and fabrication in the region. It is fair to say that the neighborhood is excited by the flight theme.

Process

This project was a very successful design team collaboration between lead engineer, Dan Heller, TY Lin International, J2 Design, Landscape architects, we were given the artistic lead for the bridge and worked closely with Elitza Mladenova, Architect working with us at Willco art and design. We used a combination of 3-D computer visualization and physical models to develop and modify the bridge design.

Additional Information

The mid span support column was designed and placed years before our design began. The placement of the pier left us with tricky alignment challenges that we solved by proposing the curve / recurve design. The curved alignment inspired the entire flight theme.