Sundial Bridge: An Architectural Gem with an Uncommon Design

The Redding, CA landmark offers easy access, away from the bustle

The Sundial Bridge (All photos by the author except where noted)

I stood mesmerized by the sleek, slanted, gleaming white column brightly lit by the evening sun against the clear blue sky. The cables tying the column to where I was standing, a pedestrian bridge across the Sacramento River in Redding, California with translucent glass panels for the deck, made it all the more intriguing and aesthetically pleasing.

I got the first glimpses of the Sundial Bridge when a friend of ours had visited and posted its pictures years ago. The photos were so intriguing that I wanted to visit the bridge. But it would be more than five years before I could fulfill that plan!

The wait was worth it.

Design

Designed by Santiago Calatrava, a Spanish Swiss architect of international renown, the bridge sports a massive tower. As a structural engineer, Calatrava has a long list of projects around the world known for their architectural statements.

The Sundial Bridge in Redding uses many of the design elements of Calatrava’s other projects but adds a twist too.

The bridge features a tower, slanted at 42 degrees, that appears to reach for the heavens. It acts as a…