Future Engineers - Workshop-Da Vinci’s Bridge

Da Vinci’s Bridge

The Leonardo Bridge Project is a global public arts project connecting diverse and distant communities through the construction of a very special bridge designed in 1502 by the universal genius Leonardo Da Vinci but never built.

Leonardo Da Vinci’s revolving bridge could be quickly packed up and transported for use by armies on the move to pass over bodies of water. The bridge would swing across a stream or moat and set down on the other side so that soldiers could pass with little trouble. The device had wheels and incorporated a rope-and-pulley system for both quick employment and easy transport. It was also equipped with a counterweight tank for balancing purposes.

Da Vinci described the bridge in his notes as being “light yet rugged” and it was one of several bridges he designed for the Duke in his lifetime. Another, similar bridge Leonardo Da Vinci built for armies was a fast-construction bridge that made it quicker and easier for soldiers to cross multiple rivers. Such temporary bridges helped armies to navigate unfamiliar terrain with less difficulty, and more easily escape from pursuing forces. They also provided armies with what Da Vinci believed was one of the most important aspects of warfare: mobility.

For 500 years the beauty and symbolism of this graceful bridge remained an obscure drawing in one of Leonardo’s notebooks, until it was brought into being in Norway in 2001 by the contemporary artist, Vebjørn Sand.

Our project objectives:

Work as a group and entertain in this well-organized workshop.
Completely build this special bridge with the respective materials, based on the project of Leonardo Da Vinci.
Test the functionality of the constructed structure.
Understand the way how the bridge supports itself.

After the activity the group will move it in an appropriate place, in order to be exposed to the passerby and enjoy that unique and interesting creation.

More photos from this activity.

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