The Rong (Dragon) Bridge in the central Vietnamese city of Da Nang, the world’s longest dragon-shape steel bridge, has claimed an award at the 2014 International Association of Lighting Designers’ (IALD) International Lighting Awards.
1. Special Citation award from IALD
The Rong (Dragon) Bridge in the central Vietnamese city of Da Nang, the world’s longest dragon-shape steel bridge, has claimed an award at the 2014 International Association of Lighting Designers’ (IALD) International Lighting Awards.
The bridge on the Han River won the “Special Citations” Award for “a whimsical, well-crafted multimedia experience communicating national and religious identity”, IALD said in a statement.
According IALD, the US$85-million bridge features 166 meters of undulating steel in the shape of a dragon, the symbol of prosperity in Vietnamese culture.
This unique and beautifully lit bridge, which also breathes fire and sprays water, is set to become Da Nang’s new landmark, the pride of local people, and attract more tourists to the city, the agency said.
An IALD release quoted an unnamed judge as saying: “Delightful! This project transcends the notion of monumental bridge with dynamic color-changing lighting, creating an iconic sculpture in the skyline that is both reverent and whimsical.”
“The purposeful integration of the lighting hardware articulates the dragon’s form, and the fire-breathing dragon head is just the cherry on the top!” said the judge.
The bridge’s lighting was designed by the Ho Chi Minh City-based ASA Studios’ team of Tran Van Thanh, Nguyen Van Nam Khoa, Ngo Thanh Phat and Van Quoc Kiet, with additional architecture credits of Louis Berger Group and lighting mechanical and electrical design of Philips Lightings Vietnam.
This is the first time a structure in Vietnam and designed by a local architect claimed the 31 year history of the honor awards.
Architect Tran Van Thanh said he is “really moved” when a lighting structure in Vietnam appeared in the world’s map of awarded structures. “I hope Vietnam will have more structures to be honored in the future,” he said
The Rong Bridge was highly evaluated not only because of its special design but also its role in promoting the image of Da Nang and Vietnam, he was quoted by Tuoi Tre as saying.
Earlier, the Rong Bridge has won two prestigious international awards – FX Design Awards 2013 and Lighting Design Awards 2014.
The IALD’s 2014 awards in Las Vegas honored 16 award winners representing architectural lighting design projects from ten countries, among about 200 applications.
2. Diamond Award in the 2014 Engineering Excellence Awards (EEA) in the structural systems category
The American Council of Engineering Companies of New York recently announced that central Da Nang’s Dragon (Rong) Bridge has won the Diamond Award in the 2014 Engineering Excellence Awards (EEA) in the structural systems category, reports Da Nang Today.
This is the highest honour for a project outside the US. The award presentation will be made at a gala on March 29, 2014 in New York city.
The annual competition, organised by the American Council of Engineering Companies of New York (ACEC New York), honours member firms for design achievements which show their superior skills and ingenuity.
The Dragon breathes fire on a weekend’s night
The Dragon breathes fire on a weekend’s night Photo credit: ASA
The Dragon Bridge project was built under the consultancy of the US-based Ammann and Whitney Consulting Engineers with the Louis Berger Group Inc, along with Vietnam’s Technology Development and Investment Consultant N°533.
The bridge features 166 meters of undulating steel in the shape of a giant fire-breathing dragon flying towards the East Sea. The main span of the 37.5m-wide bridge is bookended by two 118m side sections, with a head and tail on each end of those. The whole construction weighs 8,164 tonnes and stretches 666m in length.
It is a bridge with unique aesthetic and creative characteristics, and incorporates complex technologies. Spanning the Han River, the bridge connects Da Nang International Airport with the city’s most popular beaches and the downtown area.
After being officially opened to traffic on March 29 to mark the 38th anniversary of the liberation day of the city, the Dragon Bridge has become one of Da Nang’s main tourist attractions and symbols.-VNA
