Olivier's Blog
The Samuel Beckett Bridge - Crossing the Liffey with Style
Written by Olivier on date 08 January 2011 in Irish Locations .
The fairly new Samuel Beckett bridge in the Dublin Docklands area has been a source of great interest for amateur and professional photographers since its inauguration in 2009.
The bridge stands over river Liffey in a great harmony of curves and straight lines, echoed in the distance by the somewhat less esthaetic but more historical O'Connel Bridge and its little sister Ha'Penny.
Curved under the apparent great tension of thick steel cables, its prominent arch protrudes high above the water with a shape reminiscent of the Celtic Harp.
In its flank, a large circular opening acts as a round window with view on some of Dublin's other iconic landmarks. From one side the Spire in the distance overlooks the city while viewed through the other side Pigeon's House towers guard the entrance of the capital from the shores of Dublin Bay.
Relieving an overly congested city centre from road traffic, the bridge connects the Northern and Southern halves of Dublin like a trait d'union joining two different fragments of the same word.
Both practical and pleasing on the eye, the Samuel Becket Bridge has been a welcomed recent addition to the city in similar fashion to its near neighbour - the new Aviva Stadium. Symbol of the last breaths of an overheating economy, the now dead Celtic Tiger roars still resonate through the strings of this beautiful and yet functional piece of art.
No wonder that while still in its infancy, the bridge has already fallen prey to thousands of photographers.
From all encompassing compositions to close ups of the bridge structures, photographic possibilities are many and varied.
Despite the apparences, the bridge present the usual challenge to photographers, that is to be captured with originality and insight.
While impressive at all time, it is when the night starts falling on the capital that the bridge turns simply magical. Lit by a multitude of spotlights, it shines over the Liffey with a sheer grace that makes it impossible for the passer by not to pause for a minute in awe.
Where the Convention Centre amazes with its strict combination of primitive shapes, the bridge defies mathematical rigor by using very few straight lines. Instead, it radiates a sense of peacefulness through smooth curves and light.
The Samuel Beckett Bridge has already established itself as one of the major landmarks in Dublin City. Front guarding the fluvial entrance of the capital, it will more than likely be the pride of future generations and remain a prime example of what modern architecture can do the enhance the appearance of urban landscape.
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