Paolo Soleri Bridge

I've featured different views of the Paolo Soleri Bridge located in Scottsdale Arizona at the Scottsdale Waterfront a few times before.  However, I've never done a post specifically about the bridge.

The bridge was commissioned in 1990 but it took 20 years to approve designs, obtain funding, and build.  It was finally dedicated on December 11th 2010 and Paolo Soleri was in attendance for the dedication.

It is a pedestrian passage over the canal and a gathering place for people enjoying the beauty of the area with its many paths leading to a variety of businesses and public areas.  In addition, it is a sort of solar calendar.  The two 64-foot pylons that anchor the bridge are spaced 6 inches apart.  The gap allows the noon-day sun to create a shadow across the bridge.  The length of the shadow depends on the time of year.  On June 21st, the summer solstice, no shadow appears at all while the winter solstice in December produces the longest shadow.

Behind the two tall pylons are two 22-foot pylons encasing one of Paolo Soleri's bells.

The bell has its own story to tell.  It was part of the artist's very first U.S. retrospective of his work at the Corcoran Gallery in Washington D.C. back in 1970.

Paolo Soleri passed away in 2013 at his home in Paradise Valley Arizona.  His studio Cosanti is still thriving at the same location.