The Golden Gate Bridge

The Golden Gate Bridge has been an icon of the San Francisco skyline since May 28th, 1937, when it was opened to vehicular traffic after four arduous years of construction. Today marks its 71st anniversary of its opening. Looking at this gargantuan structure, not only do I marvel at the sheer size, intricacy, and brilliance of its architectural features, but also, I’m awestruck by the shocking—even unexpected—beauty of this design. When looking at the bridge, some may initially see a highly functional system of parts that has come together to form an orderly and efficient whole—then they may begin to note the aesthetic features. Others will initially become so enveloped in the aesthetic qualities, that the mechanics of this giant’s construction will be a secondary, and minor concern. For me it was the second; first I viewed The Golden Gate Bridge as I would a sculpture, and only when my eyes shifted to the vehicles zipping across and the boats cruising under the five-lane bridge did I begin to think of its success in terms of functionality. The bridge’s duality, in terms of function and aesthetic appeal, has made it one of San Francisco’s main tourist attractions.

When I visited the bridge last weekend, there was enough sunlight to bring out some of its most striking design features. The Golden Gate Bridge captures and reflects sunlight as though it were a prism. At times it is unclear what color the paint on the metal structure actually is. I have been to this site many times, in many different types of weather, and viewed the bridge from almost every imaginable angle. In this respect, I have come to comprehend the intricacies of The Golden Gate Bridge, and have come to understand it as more than just a famous, flat silhouette in the San Francisco skyline. Against the backdrop off a spotless blue sky, it seems more rust-colored, while in the fog, the tops of the towers appear whispy and pink, almost getting lost, reminding me of a smudged image on a chalkboard. When lit up by the moon, headlights, and the manmade floodlights at its base, the bridge appears to be bounding out of the night sky; it is pale and luminescent as though the light is actually radiating from the surface of the structure itself, not just bouncing off of it from another source. In all cases, when the vertical ribbing catches light, it looks delicate, thin, and even frail, like thread or dental floss, but the fact is, they are rigid cables, supporting tons and tons of weight, ensuring the stability of the bridge.

In terms of the structural aesthetics, I feel as though the bridge was designed with an Art Deco theme in mind. Not only does the bridge’s bright red color suggest this theme, but so do some of the shapes we find in its design. The vertical ribbing, the two towers and the horizontal line created by the base gives us four distinct triangles divided into dozens and dozens of cross-sections. This pattern-like feel, as well as symmetry can be likened to much of the Art Deco themed architecture found in this part of the country. Importantly, not only does this symmetrical triangular pattern mimic a style that we have seem emanated time and time again for aesthetic appeal, but these patterns are what have made the bridge a strong, dependable resource for commuters, and a world-renowned engineering success.

There is an aspect of effortlessness, as well as simplicity in the design of The Golden Gate Bridge. Standing in the hills of San Francisco, looking out on the bridge, I tried to squint my eyes and imagine that it was made of something entirely different from concrete and metal. From such a distance, I started to envision the towers as tree branches, and the cables as silk webbing made by a tent caterpillar. The same type of duality is present in a caterpillar tent, as in the design of the bridge; we are at a crossroads of aesthetic appeal and functionality. As a comparison to the bridge, the design of one of these caterpillar tents must be durable enough to last for months, and to protect the caterpillars that will eventually emerge.

The longer I looked at the bridge, the more I became enthralled by the cables. I felt the sense that each cable attached to the bridge was delicate in nature, probably somewhat pliable. The long cables running from column to column seemed to be sort of draped slackly over the towers—this gave me the image of a clothesline hanging between two trees. When juxtaposed with the rigidity of the five-lane base and the two gargantuan towers, the cables seemed bendable and relaxed. Not only was this an intriguing design feature in terms of aesthetic quality, but the malleability of the cables is also an engineering decision that has served The Golden Gate Bridge well during periods of high winds, and seismic activity. Thus, there is no question in my mind that this bridge exemplifies the perfect balance between function and aesthetic appeal.