Econtainer recycled shipping container bridge provides gateway to Tel-Aviv’s Ariel Sharon National Park

Tel-Aviv based <a title="Econtainer Bridge Will Take People Into Tel-Aviv’s Ariel Sharon National Park" href="http://www.messer-architects.co.il/" target="_blank">Yoav Messer Architects</a> recently unveiled plans for a sprawling 525-foot-long bridge made from <a href="http://inhabitat.com/tag/shipping-containers/">recycled shipping containers</a>! The project won a competition to build a gateway into <a href="http://inhabitat.com/tel-avivs-notorious-garbage-mountain-transforms-into-worlds-largest-recycling-park/">Ariel Sharon National Park</a>, a park designed to rehabilitate one of the world's largest and most notorious landfills. If built it will provide access for pedestrians, bicycles and small shuttle buses.

The architects were inspired by the <a title="Econtainer Bridge Will Take People Into Tel-Aviv’s Ariel Sharon National Park" href="http://www.parksharon.co.il/" target="_blank">Ariel Sharon National Park</a> itself, which is turning an old urban rubbish dump into a flourishing green space.

The reuse of shipping containers makes perfect sense, as an estimated 800,000 <a title="Econtainer Bridge Will Take People Into Tel-Aviv’s Ariel Sharon National Park" href="http://inhabitat.com/port-a-bach-a-globetrotting-shipping-container-micro-home-on-wheels/" target="_blank">containers</a> are abandoned by the maritime services each year.

The use of containers will also save on production, costs and construction time, and the <a title="Econtainer Bridge Will Take People Into Tel-Aviv’s Ariel Sharon National Park" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modular_unit" target="_blank">modular units</a> are flexible enough to adapt to any changes required.

<a title="Econtainer Bridge Will Take People Into Tel-Aviv’s Ariel Sharon National Park" href="http://www.messer-architects.co.il/" target="_blank">Yoav Messer Architects</a>' Econtainer Bridge is made of a continuous line of <a title="Econtainer Bridge Will Take People Into Tel-Aviv’s Ariel Sharon National Park" href="http://inhabitat.com/photos-stacked-recycled-shipping-containers-create-a-fantastic-info-point-for-copenhagen-design-week/" target="_blank">containers</a> punctuated by balconies that provide space to stop, take a rest and enjoy the gorgeous views on each side.

The bridge is set upon four columns, minimizing its impact on the ground.

A great (re)use for shipping containers that we haven’t seen before, the Econtainer Bridge will provide access to the park while serving as a destination in its own right.