10 Most Amazing Bridges

Banpo Bridge (South Korea): The Fountain Bridge

On September 9, 2008, the Banpo Bridge in Seoul (South Korea) got a major facelift: a 10,000-nozzle fountain that runs all the way on both sides. Immediately after being installed, the bridge turned into a major tourist attraction, as the bridge pumps out 190 tons of water per minute using the water from the river below.

Millau Bridge (France): World's Tallest Vehicular Bridge

Towering 1,125-ft above the Tarn Valley in southern France, driving along the Millau Bridge is said to feel like flying. This Foster + Partners marvel is slightly taller than the Eiffel Tower, took three years to build and opened to the public in 2004. While it may provide picturesque views of the valley below, once the mist descends it is not a route for the faint hearted! The Millau Bridge has a total length of 8,071-ft with the longest single span at 1,122-ft and a maximum clearance below of 886-ft; in short the bridge is massively impressive both on paper and in real life. The deck is lofted on 7 pylons and weighs 36,000 tonnes. A series of 7 masts, each 292-ft tall and weighing 700 tonnes, are attached to the corresponding pylons.

Henderson Waves (Singapore): Most Beautiful Pedestrian Bridge

At a height of 36 metres or 12 storeys from the road, it is the highest pedestrian bridge in Singapore. The 300-metre bridge links up the parks at Mount Faber and Telok Blangah Hill.

Hangzhou Bay Bridge (China): World's Longest Trans-Oceanic Bridge

Across the Hangzhou Bay extends the longest trans-oceanic bridge in the world, with 35,673 kilometres (22 mi) long with six expressway lanes in two directions. The bridge was built to address traffic congestion in the booming region, cutting the driving time between Shanghai and Ningbo from four to two-and-a-half hours.

The bridge underwent various feasibility studies for a decade before it was approved in 2003, and finally opened to the public on May 1, 2008. Total investment on the bridge was RMB 11.8 billion (around US$ 1.4 billion).

Rolling Bridge (UK): The Bridge that Curls Up on Itself

Designed by Heatherwick Studio, the award-winning Rolling Bridge is located Paddington Basin, London. Rather than a conventional opening bridge mechanism, consisting of a single rigid element that lifts to let boats pass, the Rolling Bridge gets out of the way by curling up until its two ends touch. While in its horizontal position, the bridge is a normal, inconspicuous steel and timber footbridge; fully open, it forms a circle on one bank of the water that bears little resemblance to its former self.

Twelve metres long, the bridge is made in eight steel and timber sections, and is made to curl by hydraulic rams set into the handrail between each section.

Oliveira Bridge (Brazil): World's First X-shaped Cable Stayed Bridge with two crossed lanes

The Octavio Frias de Oliveira Bridge over the Pinheiros River in São Paulo, Brazil was opened in May 2008. It is 138 metres (450-ft) tall, and connects Marginal Pinheiros to Jornalista Roberto Marinho Avenue. Its design is unique in that the 2 curved decks of the bridge cross each other through its X-shaped supporting tower.

Wind and Rain Bridge (China): Dong people's bridge

The Wind and Rain Bridge is the symbolized architecture of the Dong minority people. The wind and rain bridge in Diping is the largest of its kind in Guizhou Province, where China's biggest Dong community lives. The bridge is over 50 meters long and it was first built in 1894 during the Qing Dynasty over 100 years ago. However, the original structure was destroyed in a big fire in 1959 and the one visitors see today was a recreation finished in 1964.

It is a pure wooden architecture made up of pillars, purlins and balusters of different sizes and shapes. The body of the bridge is divided to three tiers, the largest one in the middle take the shape of a traditional Chinese drum tower. The pilasters and eaves of the bridge are engraved with flowers and patterns and are quite magnificent.

Tower Bridge (UK): Most Famous and Beautiful Victorian Bridge

Completed in 1894 and designed by Horace Jones and Wolfe Barry, Tower Bridge (so named after the two, striking, 141-ft high towers and the Tower of London close to it) is one of the most famous landmarks in London and one of the most beautiful in the world. The 800-ft long bridge has a 28-ft clearance when closed but raises in the centre to a maximum clearance of 140-ft that allows ships to pass down the Thames. Back in the days when goods were moved by sea instead of air the bridge was raised around 50 times daily. Tower Bridge took 432 workers 8 years to build. During that time they sank 70,000 tonnes of concrete into 2 huge piers, lowered 2 counterbalanced bascules into place each weighing 1,000 tonnes and then clad the whole bridge in Portland stone and Cornish granite to disguise the 11,000 tonnes of steel beneath.

Magdeburg Water Bridge (Germany): Europe's Largest Water Bridge

The Magdeburg Water Bridge connects the former East and West Germany over the Elbe River, and it was made as part of the unification project. 1 km long, the 500 million euros water bridge enables river barges to avoid a lengthy and sometimes unreliable passage along the Elbe. Shipping used to come to a halt on the stretch if the river’s water mark felt to unacceptably low levels.

Ponte Vecchio (Italy): Oldest and Most Famous of its kind

The Ponte Vecchio in Florence is one of the most famous tourist spots in Italy, and is thought to be the oldest wholly-stone built, segmental arch bridge in Europe, although there are many partial segments which date further back. It was originally built of wood until destroyed by floods in 1333, and twelve years later it was rebuilt using stone. Famous for its lining of shops, the bridge has housed everybody from Medieval merchants and butchers to souvenir stalls and art dealers.

Genetic Craziness: 10 Two-headed Animals

Two-headed Kitten

This grey and white two-headed feline was born at the Swan Veterinary Clinic in Perth, Western Australia, when its mother was brought in after suffering complications during birth. Veterinarian George Huber and nurse Louisa Burgess assisted the labor. The tiny kitten – smaller than a hand – was one of three born in the litter, although its siblings were not born with any deformities.

The kitten eats out of just one mouth because of a cleft palate, but both its mouths meow simultaneously. Only about one in a million cats are born with two heads, however the deformity is more common among other animals like snakes and turtles.

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Two-headed Gecko

This gecko with a head on each end was found in an antique shop of Huaihua City, Central China's Hunan Province on June 3, 2008. The gecko is about 10 cm long. It crawls slowly and can move towards the opposite direction without turning its head. (Link)

Two-headed Pig

The birth of this two-headed pig in China was hailed as a miraculous conception by farmers since pigs are widely seen as a symbol of fertility in China. Besides, this strange animal was born in 2007, the Chinese Year Of The Pig, so this unique pork was considered to be a blessing. The two-faced pork weighted in at 1.5 kilograms, came with 2 mouths and 4 eyes, and was born in the small village of Quanzhou in East China's Fujian province. (Link)

Two-headed Python

This strange two-headed python was discovered by a team of veterinarians at the zoo in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Both heads operate independently and have the ability to eat. The snake is 25 inches and it uses its right head to control its movements, while the left follows it naturally. In general, a python, living in its natural ecosystem, can measure up to seven meters long and can swallow animals much larger than its own dimensions, killing by suffocation, twining with its own body.

The two-headed python is logically the attraction of the Colombo Zoo in the Tissa region. It is still unclear what the fate of the snake will be. Veterinarians are making tests on it to determine if the anomaly is not threatening its life.

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Two-headed Turtle

This two-headed turtle was found in Florida residing at Sean Casey's Animal Rescue in Kensington, a pet store. Casey, the pet store owner, got the two-headed turtle from a man in Florida who rescued a bunch of eggs after an adult female was killed by a car. When the turtle started to deteriorate the man turned to Sean Casey's Animal Rescue (www.scarnyc .org), a nonprofit organization in Kensington specializing in exotic creatures. Casey nursed it back to health at home, and then brought the tank to his pet store. Usually, such severely deformed turtles die soon after birth, but Casey says this one could live for many years - maybe not to the average age of 75 to 100- although it takes special precautions to keep the oddity safe like feeding each head by hand, because otherwise they fight over the little pellets. Unfortunately the popular pet was ultimately stolen from the pet store. (Link)

Two-headed Crocodile

This unusual pair of two-headed Siamese twin crocodiles was found in 2001 by the staff of a crocodile farm in Thailand.

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Two-headed Cow

This calf with two faces was born in Virginia, US. It has three sets of teeth, two lower jaws and two tongues, but only one mouth; two noses with separate airways, and a single eye socket, which has two eyes in it. The unusual baby animal belongs to Farmer Kirk Heldreth, of Rural Retreat in Virginia, and was named ‘Star'. The two-faced cow was a result of selective artificial insemination, designed to produce the best possible cow. Apart from having two faces, Star appears to be doing well, and the Heldreth family says she has a 'sweet' personality. The condition, known as diprosopus, is an extreme form of conjoined twinning, and occurs when an embryo partially splits – normally forming two partial faces on one body. It could be caused by a genetic abnormality, or a fault during the embryo's development. (Link)

Two-headed Lamb

This two-headed lamb born in Iceland shocked animal experts around the world. The freaky farm animal caused huge surprise in the Olfus region of Southern Iceland when it popped out with two faces. Local vet Pall Stefansson said that two headed lambs are very rare, although he had heard of two similar cases over the years. The lamb survived the night but sadly had to be put down after vets realized it could not raise its head. (Link)

Two-headed Grasshopper

This insect belongs to the Orthoptera order, including grasshoppers, crickets and katydids. The animal has two heads, and the red one is more attractive probably to distract a possible predator from the real one. The picture was taken at an old coffee plantation's farm, in Amaga, state of Antioquia, Colombia. The altitude is 1.400 m above sea level. (Link)

Two-headed Fish

This mutated fish was caught downstream from Alberta's oilsands region. The 2.5-kilogram goldeye caught in Lake Athabasca has two mouths, one beneath the other. Two boys pointed the deformed fish out to Stuart Macmillan, Park Canada's manager of resource conservation at Wood Buffalo National Park, who studied it before handing it over to the Mikesew First Nation. (Link 1 | Link 2)

Creative Stools

iTamtam M1 iPod Docking Stool

Introduced by Branex Design, a French base company at the CES 2010 in Las Vegas. Most iPod docks look great on a desk, nightstand or countertop. The iTamtam dock sits on the floor, and you sit on the dock. Odd, right? Inspired by a line of stools featured at the MoMA, the iTamtams are docks, stools and speaker systems all in one sleek package.

(Link | Via)

The Tooth Stool

This best seller designed by Philippe Starck, was originally created for the Saint Martin's Lane Hotel in London. (Link)

Hand Stool

With this hand stool, the quirkiness and coolness is pretty handy. This stool in the shape of hand is made in hard-wearing ABS plastic. It could be used as a center piece in your living room or maybe even in your garden. (Link)

Bottle Top Bar Stool

The Bottle Top Bar Stool presents itself as the obvious choice for comfortably placing your posterior! With an ABS plastic seat top shaped like a bottle cap, the Bottle Top Bar Stool certainly lives up to its name! Providing perfect comfort at your bar, this unique bar stool is great for domestic placement at your home bar, or in your kitchen. (Link)

Puzzle Stool

Easiest jigsaw puzzle in the world or genius seating arrangement? The Jigsaw Puzzle Stool by VivaTerra is as much of an enigma as you want it to be. Crafted from sustainably produced, plantation-grown sheesham wood, the stool can be enjoyed on its own or linked with one or more of its brethren to form a bench or a mini-table. (Link)

Acrylic Stool / Magazine Rack

Designed by Karim Rashid (Born in Cairo, raised in Canada), he brings an inventive duality and a global sophistication to his Magino Stool and Magazine Holder. When the slots in the legs are employed to store magazines and other print material, the stool holds the publications with ease. (Link)

Headstand Stool

The stool "headstand" is based upon the principal of a skipjack and offers dynamic seating. Headstand turns the common ludo-pawn upside down in a surprising manner due to an unusual balance point.

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Spring Stool

At ICFF 2010 in New York, the Belgian manufacturer Wildspirit exhibited the Spring Stool, designed by Dutch designer Erik Jansen. (Link | Via)

Portable Stool

This creative stool was designed for everyone who likes traveling. It's made out of cardboard but it can easily hold a person up to 90Kg. It's very easy to fold and carry around. No glues and such chemicals are used to set up the stool. Take it anywhere, suitable to be used in concerts, camps, street, etc. (Link)

Splash Stool

Koncord' Stool

Modern stool designed by Karim Rashid for Italian company Slide. (Link)

Snake Bar Stool Concept

Designer Svilen Gamolov has announced his Snake Bar Stool concept. The stool is radically designed and resembles a hissing snake ready to strike at the challenge with a vicious and fatal poisonous bite. (Link)

Banqueta

Banqueta - one piece seat, is a cool bar stool designed by the Argentinean Juan Pablo Sammartino. (Link)

Martini Glass Bar Stool

This beautiful bar stool features the freshest design we have seen in a very long time! This modern bar stool is made and imported from Italy for unmatched quality and design. The coolest bar stool around! Shaped like a martini glass, complete with an olive which serves as a backrest. (Link)

Colorful and Trendy Bar Stools

These modern bar stools designed by Ibebi are really interesting. You can choose from a variety of colors depending on your taste and mood: green, orange, pink, blue or maybe red. (Link)