Spanning Brush Creek on the south side of Kansas City, the Troost Bridge dramatically enhances an otherwise drab, utilitarian structure, transforming it into something far more purposeful and socially relevant. Local firm El Dorado retooled the concrete bridge to handle both pedestrian and vehicle traffic. Three-metre-tall glass panels coated in an anti-graffiti film stand together to form the guardrail; and mirrored stainless steel panels line the concrete barrier between cars and pedestrians, reflecting daylight onto the glazing. The result is an airy interplay between reflection and refraction – highly symbolic, since the bridge runs along Troost Avenue, the traditional dividing line between the city’s black and white neighbourhoods.
Troost Bridge, in Kansas City, Missouri; and Hariri Memorial Garden, in Beirut.
