The Bridge of Land and Sky proposes that all infrastructures are valuable to the expression of the landscapes, places and activities that they are a part of. The bridge exists as another layer of the surrounding landscape heightening our experience in our vehicle. What would have been an uninteresting code driven security fence becomes a dramatic register of changing environmental conditions that are seen on and through the ribbon outlining the deck of the bridge. This small, but dramatic change to the form of the bridge defines a landscape and a place that is to be enjoyed and celebrated, rather than just driven under and over. Here infrastructure is a reflection of its environment, functioning to fulfill our needs as well as our desires for beauty in our everyday activity.
The project is a collaboration between CGS, the Oregon Department of Transportation, and the City of Hillsboro Cultural Arts Division and the Planning Department. The intention of the project is to transform the bridge over Highway 26 into a gateway for the Hillsboro community. The low rolling hills and dramatic skies of Hillsboro inspired the Bridge of Land and Sky which is specific to its place in the landscape. The panels are laser-cut with topographic lines taken from maps of the surrounding landscape. This ribbon of lines provides a mediating layer between the roadway, the surrounding landscape and the sky. The retrofit of the panels that form the deck of the bridge was accomplished through a collaboration with the Oregon Department of Transportation and CGS, and fabricated by Metal Arts Foundry. CGS produced all the technical drawings and specifications in collaboration with ODOT.
