The Women’s Bridge or, in Spanish, El Puente de la Mujer, is one of the most famous attractions of the city of Buenos Aires. The bridge was designed by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava, and it is his first design constructed in South America. The government of Buenos Aires, by approving his design, showed a tendency of elevating Buenos Aires to the status of regional leader in architectural design.
The bridge resembles a tango dancing couple, with the white flag symbolizing the man, while the arch of the bridge depicts the woman. The bridge itself contains a turning mechanism which allows it to raise to let sailboats pass underneath. It was constructed in a similar manner to the 250m long bridge that crosses the Guadalquivir river in Seville.
This pedestrian bridge had a weight of 800t, and is 6.2m wide and separated into two fixed segments, which are 25m and 32.5m long respectively. The middle section of the bridge has a length of 102.5m, and it is this part that rotates when ships have to pass beneath. The middle section of the bridge is supported by a steel “needle” with a concrete base, and the support pillar reaches a height of 34m. The needle is tipped at a 40° angle. The bridge is very impressive, and its female name is consistent to many nearby streets.
photo credit:Felipe Labate
