Product Description

Nine million people visit the Golden Gate Bridge each year, yet how many know why it's painted that stunning shade of "international orange"? Or that ancient Mayan and Art Deco buildings influenced the design? Current bridge architect Donald MacDonald answers these questions and others in a friendly, informative look at the bridge's engineering and 70-year history. This accessible account is accompanied by 70 of MacDonald's own charming color illustrations, making it easy to understand how the bridge was designed and constructed. A fascinating study for those interested in architecture, design, or anyone with a soft spot for San Francisco, Golden Gate Bridge is a fitting tribute to this timeless icon.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #462476 in Books
• Published on: 2008-04-02
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 128 pages

About the Author
Donald MacDonald is the first architect to work on the Golden Gate Bridge since its completion. He lives in San Francisco.

Ira Nadel has written numerous books, including biographies of Leonard Cohen and Ezra Pound. He lives in Vancouver, B.C.

Customer Reviews

A Quick History of a True Architectural Icon in Words and Illustrations
It's quite cheeky of architect Donald MacDonald not to include a single photograph of the Golden Gate Bridge in his little 128-page book about what is considered one of the modern wonders of the world. Instead, he provides seventy of his own color illustrations to help him and co-writer Ira Nadel tell the history of one of the most beautiful examples of bridge engineering, both in terms of structural design and aesthetic appeal. How the Golden Gate Bridge manages to maintain its iconic status - attracting nine million visitors annually and 1.8 billion vehicles since its opening - is due to what the co-authors describe simply as "geometry". Six brief chapters cover its genesis from the City Beautiful movement showcased at the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition through a diverse rang of design scenarios through the treacherous construction in 1933-37 and then finally to its enduring survival through the 21st century. I was surprised to discover the pervasive Mayan influences in the structural engineering and how the ultimately Art Deco-inspired design really served to showcase the simplified detail behind its impressive continuity and monumental verticality.

Although one would have expected the use of gold given its name, the bridge's arresting shade of "international orange" was the result of extensive debate. MacDonald uses the creative latitude of his illustrations to show what colors and patterns were seriously considered, including some truly ugly striped patterns meant to allow the military greater visibility during heavy fog conditions. Even the height of the towers was a source of controversy as original designs had them rise to nearly 1,000 feet, or the equal of the Eiffel Tower, versus the final 746 feet. The turbulence of the weather conditions was a key consideration, and as it turns out, the bridge's elastic suspension has been successful in responding to gale-force winds. Particularly interesting is the last chapter on the bridge's current state wherein efforts are focused on earthquake retro-fitting and suicide prevention barriers. MacDonald should know since his firm has been instrumental in the redesign of the toll plaza, the seismic retrofit and the various proposals for a suicide deterrence barrier. This is not the most comprehensive look at the Golden Gate Bridge, but I find MacDonald and Nadel's insights never less than interesting.