Iconic Japanese architect, Shigeru Ban, renowned for his use of eco-friendly, lightweight materials recently unveiled an environmentally-friendly paper bridge over the Gardon River in southern France.
Constructed half a mile from the Pont du Gard, a section of ancient Roman bridge classed as a UN World Heritage site, Shigeru’s cardboard-tube structure is durable to carry 20 people simultaneously.
The paper bridge is open to the public for six weeks before it will be dismantled owing to the imminent rainy season.
The bridge weighs 7.5 tones and is constructed from 281 cardboard tubes each measuring 11.5 centimetres across. The steps are formed from recycled plastic and paper while the foundation’s wooden boxes are crammed with sand.
“It is a very interesting contrast, the Roman stone bridge and the paper bridge. Paper too can be permanent, can be strong and lasting. We need to get rid of these prejudices,” Ban said.“A bridge was one of my dreams,” he said, as he thanked the two dozen French architecture students and three from Japan who built the bridge as a month-long project.
