golden gate bridge safety and seismic retrofit
san francisco, california
Since 1980, MacDonald Architects has been providing design and aesthetics services on the Golden Gate Bridge. Working with well-known engineering firms, T.Y. Lin International, Imbsen, and Sverdrup Inc., our projects have included seismic upgrades, bike rails, and a study of suicide barriers in the late 1990s and again in 2007.
This landmark structure spans the scenic San Francisco Bay and connects San Francisco to Marin County, just north of the city. In working on various contracts for the design elements of this bridge, MacDonald Architects has collaborated extensively with the National Park Service because the lands surrounding both ends of the bridge are national parks. Being that this bridge has such great cultural and historical significance, MacDonald Architects has always taken care to ensure that the new elements are visually compatible to the existing bridge.
MacDonald Architects created the Design Criteria Report that serves as a guideline for participating engineering firms when designing the final seismic retrofit measures for the North/South Viaduct and Main Span Retrofit, the Main Span Wind Retrofit, the Bicycle Safety Rail, and any other specific elements or work done for the Golden Gate Bridge.