Ideas change everything

Bridges should be beautiful

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Ian Firth |

TED2018

• April 2018

Bridges need to be functional, safe and durable, but they should also be elegant and beautiful, says structural engineer Ian Firth. In this mesmerizing tour of bridges old and new, Firth explores the potential for innovation and variety in this essential structure -- and how spectacular ones reveal our connectivity, unleash our creativity and hint at our identity.

Want to use TED Talks in your organization?

Want to use TED Talks in your organization?

Bridges need to be functional, safe and durable, but they should also be elegant and beautiful, says structural engineer Ian Firth. In this mesmerizing tour of bridges old and new, Firth explores the potential for innovation and variety in this essential structure -- and how spectacular ones reveal our connectivity, unleash our creativity and hint at our identity.

Want to use TED Talks in your organization?

This talk was presented at an official TED conference.

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Support Bridges to Prosperity and their mission to connect rural communities and lift people out of poverty.

About the speaker

Engineer, bridge designer

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Ian Firth designs bridges all around the world; some are very long and cross over wide rivers or sea channels, and some are really short and in the middle of towns and cities, but "all of them are unique and special in their own way."

This talk was presented at an official TED conference.

Read our curation guidelines.

Support Bridges to Prosperity and their mission to connect rural communities and lift people out of poverty.