rolling bridge

What an incredible, unusual bridge! Designed by Heatherwick Studio, Rolling Bridge is a brilliant solution to the problem of providing both a pedestrian walkway and accessible boat inlet. According to the designers:

The aim was to make the movement the extraordinary aspect of the bridge. A common approach to designing opening bridges is to have a single rigid element that fractures and lifts out of the way. Rolling Bridge opens by slowly and smoothly curling until it transforms from a conventional, straight bridge, into a circular sculpture which sits on the bank of the canal.

The structure opens using a series of hydraulic rams integrated into the balustrade. As it curls, each of its eight segments simultaneously lifts, causing it to roll until the two ends touch and form a circle. The bridge can be stopped at any point along its journey.

If you're in London, you can visit the bridge and see it roll up for yourself every Friday at noon at the Grand Union Canal at Paddington Basin.

(Via Black*Eiffel)