Designers get their inspiration from many places. Purses masquerade as jewelry. Jewelry fabric prints on fashion runway designs. But this jewelry inspired structure is an engineering first. The picture shows a proposed Pearl River Necklace bridge to join Hong Kong and Macau. The concept design is an ingenious solution to the problem of how to direct traffic when cars from one place drive on the left and the other place, on the right.
Hong Kong is a former British colony so the drivers stay on the right. Macau once belonged to Portugal and they drive on the left. The Dutch architectural firm designed a twisted figure 8 configuration nicknamed "the Flipper", to place drivers on the opposite side of the road both physically and mentally!
The firm lost the competition so the necklace bridge will not be built but it's an intriguing idea!
Other "pearls":
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Hong Kong is a former British colony so the drivers stay on the right. Macau once belonged to Portugal and they drive on the left. The Dutch architectural firm designed a twisted figure 8 configuration nicknamed "the Flipper", to place drivers on the opposite side of the road both physically and mentally!
The firm lost the competition so the necklace bridge will not be built but it's an intriguing idea!
Other "pearls":
- In the footsteps of a pearl dealer
- Diamond in a pearl
- Would you pay $1,000,000 for a strand of pearls
For more tutorials check out my Jewelry Making Tips
Liked what you read? Don't miss a post!
Subscribe
via RSS OR Via Email* It's FREE!*Click on the link in the confirmation email to activate subscription
Be a Fan!
That's a pretty neat idea, and looks like it'd be beautiful when finished. It's too bad it won't be built!
ReplyDeleteHi, Pearl!
ReplyDeleteLoved your post, as usual, but I have to add my two cents.. As you might remember I'm Portuguese and I live in Portugal and I can assure you that we drive on the right side of the road. On the other hand, I know the British drive on the "wrong" side of the road, the left one.
:)
I agree with Lindley: It's too bad the bridge won't be built, I'd love to see that!
kisses,
Cristina, from Sunshine's Creations
LOL, Cristina! Portugal did not change over to the right until the 1920's
ReplyDeleteThere is actually no right or wrong side of the road although driving on the right predominates in the world:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Right-_and_left-hand_traffic
The conventions developed independently. In Britain, the centuries old custom of staying on the left side of the road probably came about because most armed men were right handed. They could thus be better prepared on the road.
In the US, the driver of wagons usually sat on the left so they preferred to have traffic pass on their left so they could stay clear.
Conformity with one's neighbors is the most common reason for the switch from left to right as happened for Canada.
Pearl
Hi, Pearl!
ReplyDeleteThank you for setting me straight with such grace and humor! You're the best!
I had no idea Portuguese once drove on the left side and switched in the 1920's, I just know how we drive now and assumed we always drove on the same side of the road.
Of course there's no right or wrong side to drive on, it's just a common small joke we say here. Actually my brother was in London a couple of weeks ago on vacations and he had a hard time getting back to the right side of the road when he came back! My sister-in-law did drive a couple of meters on the left side until she met another puzzled driver asking her what was she doing!
LOL
Thanks dear, I needed a laugh.
Love and kisses,
Cristina
I've lived in countries which use different sides of the roads. I am most vulnerable about forgetting which side of the car I should get in is when I am not the driver!! I have to think to do the correct thing!
ReplyDelete