measuring a staggering 1726 ft (526.14 m), this bridge design by UAD has smashed guinness world records as the world’s longest glass-bottomed bridge. located in huangchuan three gorges scenic area in lianzhou, china, the new landmark uses innovative construction methods and is designed to blend seamlessly into the incredible natural surroundings. 

UAD designs the world's longest glass-bottomed bridge in lianzhou, china designboom

all images and video by lianzhou qingtian tourism development co., ltd.

 

 

described by UAD as ‘a transparent corridor in the air‘, the bridge is paved with three layers of 4.5 cm thick ultra-clear tempered laminated glass, the visible transmittance of which is 99.15%. the glazing endows the bridge deck with crystal-like luster, high transparency and refractive index. the glass, the guardrails composed of curved stainless steel bars, the bridge tower, and red main cables, together form a built landscape that combines the solid and the void, the modern and the classical.

UAD designs the world's longest glass-bottomed bridge in lianzhou, china designboom

 

 

located in the southeast of china, lianzhou is affected by frequent typhoons in summer. in addition, due to the large span and flexible structural system, the suspension bridge requires excellent wind resistance performance. based on those considerations, the design team carried out wind tunnel testing and finite elements simulation, analyzed the main frequency and modes of vibration, and identified design parameters such as critical flutter velocity and the reasonable degree of enclosedness of guardrails, which provided strong support for optimizing the design and the maintenance of the bridge in the future.

UAD designs the world's longest glass-bottomed bridge in lianzhou, china designboom

 

 

in order to enhance lateral sustainability and wind resistance performance of the bridge, the designers adopted for an oblique wind-resistant cable system, which is fixed to concrete anchors. moreover, considering the adverse influences that karstification and special residual silty clay exerted on the site, they ensured the safety performance of the bridge during design and construction phases.

UAD designs the world's longest glass-bottomed bridge in lianzhou, china designboom

 

 

not one for the faint-hearted, the transparent bridge spans the cliffs and river below at a height of 659.5 ft (201 m). its completion has already attracted a large number of tourists and is helping inject vitality into the local tourism industry. based on respecting nature, clear planning and positioning, creativity, and the courage to push the limits, UAD’s design aims to reactivate the natural environment and produce an innovative built landscape that contributes to the economic development of the area.

UAD designs the world's longest glass-bottomed bridge in lianzhou, china designboom

 

UAD designs the world's longest glass-bottomed bridge in lianzhou, china designboom

UAD designs the world's longest glass-bottomed bridge in lianzhou, china designboom

UAD designs the world's longest glass-bottomed bridge in lianzhou, china designboom

UAD designs the world's longest glass-bottomed bridge in lianzhou, china designboom

UAD designs the world's longest glass-bottomed bridge in lianzhou, china designboom

UAD designs the world's longest glass-bottomed bridge in lianzhou, china designboom

 

 

project info:

 

project name: glass bridge in huangchuan three gorges scenic area
location: jiubei town, lianzhou, qingyuan city, guangdong province, china
design firm: the architectural design & research institute of zhejiang university co., ltd. (UAD)
design team: xie xu, sun liangfeng, wang weilong, dong weiwei, wu pu
completion: january 2020
photography and video: lianzhou qingtian tourism development co., ltd.

 

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

 

edited by: lynne myers | designboom