Ideas worth spreading

Bridges should be beautiful

1,270,476 views |

Ian Firth |

TED2018

• April 2018

Bridges need to be functional, safe and durable, but they should also be elegant and beautiful, says structural engineer Ian Firth. In this mesmerizing tour of bridges old and new, Firth explores the potential for innovation and variety in this essential structure -- and how spectacular ones reveal our connectivity, unleash our creativity and hint at our identity.

Bridges need to be functional, safe and durable, but they should also be elegant and beautiful, says structural engineer Ian Firth. In this mesmerizing tour of bridges old and new, Firth explores the potential for innovation and variety in this essential structure -- and how spectacular ones reveal our connectivity, unleash our creativity and hint at our identity.

This talk was presented at an official TED conference. TED's editors chose to feature it for you.

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About the speaker

Ian Firth

Engineer, bridge designer

See speaker profile

Ian Firth designs bridges all around the world; some are very long and cross over wide rivers or sea channels, and some are really short and in the middle of towns and cities, but "all of them are unique and special in their own way."

Fritz Leonhardt | Architectural Press, 1982 | Book

Brücken / Bridges

A beautiful book written by one of the giants of 20th century bridge design. It is now a little dated but is still one of the best general reference books on bridges there is, covering the different types, their design and aspects of their construction. It is also one of the few really authoritative books to address the elegance and appearance of bridges and give some guidelines for good practice. Suitable for the general reader. Dual language: German and English

David P. Billington | Princeton University Art Museum, 2001 | Book

The Art of Structural Design: A Swiss Legacy

Professor Billington's brilliant homage to the work of six great Swiss engineers. Not only, but mostly about bridges, this book celebrates the artistic quality of good engineering design, and focuses on how the engineer's technical skill, artistic temperament and environmental appreciation combine to create beautiful and even iconic structures. It is also a fascinating history of how engineers in the early part of the 20th century developed their understanding of structural behavior, often through large-scale tests which didn't always go according to plan!

Ursula Baus and Mike Schlaich | Birkhäuser Architecture, 2007 | Book

A beautifully illustrated book covering all aspects of footbridge design, construction and a considerable amount of history, aimed mainly at the general reader. Containing a plethora of case studies – one or two page summaries about a vast catalogue of footbridges around the world, it showcases the work of many of the world's leading bridge designers. I am pleased that the authors decided to include some of my work! Great for page-turning inspiration at the start of o new bridge project.

Klaus Idelberger | Ernst & Sohn, 2011 | Book

The World of Footbridges: From the Utilitarian to the Spectacular

More examples of footbridge, covering a wide range of good and not-so-good designs from around the world. This book certainly illustrates the variety that is possible with this type of structure, and shows how beautiful and elegant the results can be in the hands of an expert designer.

David Bennett | Aurum Press Ltd, 1999 | Book

The Creation Of Bridges - From Vision To Reality, The Ultimate Challenge of Architecture, Design And Distance

More than anything a history book but one which illustrates well the challenge of designing and building bridges in a wide variety of contexts and at different scales. The innovation, imagination and skill of the bridge engineers behind the illustrated projects is clear to see. A useful general reference book.

This talk was presented at an official TED conference. TED's editors chose to feature it for you.

Support Bridges to Prosperity and their mission to connect rural communities and lift people out of poverty.