When NEXT architects first unveiled images for their extraordinary Lucky Knot bridge, the Möbius Strip-inspired design seemed too good to be true. But just a few weeks ago, fantasy became reality with the project's opening in Changsha, China. Bridging local context and culture with modern design and technology, the Lucky Knot is a unique work of art that challenges how we see and design everyday infrastructure.
Located in the megacity Changsha’s rapidly developing New Lake District, Lucky Knot spans the Dragon King Harbor River and serves as an auspicious icon for the region. The steel-framed bridge stretches 185 meters in length and 24 meters in height and is painted red—a color symbolizing good luck and happiness in Chinese culture. The bridge’s unusual shape combines the principles behind the Möbius Strip and Chinese knotting, a decorative handicraft art typically made with red rope, and often used as auspicious wall hangings.
The Lucky Knot’s eye-catching design isn’t the only way it stands out from most pedestrian bridges. Public engagement was a big focus of the design, which was crafted with recreational, ecological, and tourist activities in mind. Multiple landing platforms and cutouts, as well as the bridge’s multiple swooping levels that connect to different heights like the riverbank and the elevated park, encourage a sense of play. An LED light show brings the bridge to life at night. The undulating bridge offers stunning views of the river, Meixi Lake, the city of Changsha, and the surrounding mountains.
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“The Lucky Knot is more than a bridge and a connection between two river banks. Its success lays in bringing cultures together, and in the fusion of history, technology, art, innovation, architecture and spectacle,” said NEXT architects Beijing partner Jiang Xiaofei.
Images © NEXT architects / Photography: Julien Lanoo
