Whether crossing an atrium, street, canal, canyon, or sound, whether ancient, historic, modern, or high-tech, made of stone, concrete, steel, or glass, the bridge is a special kind of connecting structure.
Topologically, whereas most buildings exist largely to enclose space, bridges tend to puncture it to varying degrees.
In July 2003, the Hungerford footbridges, which have brought about a major improvement to the London pedestrian's journey across the River Thames, were renamed the Golden Jubilee Bridges to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth's coronation.
London’s Millennium Bridge reopened six years ago on February 22, 2002, with its designer, Lord Foster, in attendance, but without its original, notorious wobble. Described by Foster as a "blade of light," the Millennium Bridge was closed just two days after it first opened in June, 2000, because it shimmied and shook uncomfortably.
Some Westerners, when faced with Oriental creativity, have a tendency to get a little carried away. Instead of a balanced, rational approach, a tendency emerges to ascribe the aesthetic effect of what they see to some mysterious, spiritual force that is absent from their own culture, whether it be called Zen, Tao, wabi-sabi, or yin and yang.
The Contemporary Art Museum of Castilla and León (MUSAC) by Spanish architects Mansilla + Tuñón, located in León, Spain, reflects van der Rohe's philosophy in its minimalist architectural language — and the museum won the 2007 Mies van der Rohe Award, the European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture. At the same time, its design works to redefine both the role of a museum with respect to its cultural context and the way people experience museums.