DESIGN / A BRIDGE SO FAR

No Cars Allowed.

FINNISH BRIDGE FINISHED 

GUEST BLOG / By Starr Charles, dezeen magazine--The Kruunuvuori Bridge – the longest bridge in Finland, and one of the world's longest bridges designed solely for public transport, pedestrians and cyclists – has opened in Helsinki. 

Designed by engineering firm WSP and London studio Knight Architects, the Kruunuvuori Bridge stretches 1191 metres to link the waterside residential area of Kruunuvuorenranta with the nearby Nihti area via Korkeasaari island. Its winding steel and concrete structure features a cable-stayed section centred by a 135-metre-tall pylon that can be illuminated at night and double as a "new city landmark". 

The Kruunuvuori Bridge is 1191 metres long 

Two 260-metre-long spans stretch out on either side of the pylon, while the main bridge sits atop concrete abutments and is connected to approach bridges at each end. According to WSP, the bridge was designed with a strong user focus to meet the specific needs of pedestrians, cyclists and public transport users. The car-free structure includes specific walkways and cycle lanes for users, and will offer a new tram connection from 2027. 

"The bridge was designed with a strong user focus, both in terms of visual appearance and usability," the studio said. 

"The horizontal curvature of the bridge is not only structurally driven, but also enhances the user experience, as walking along a curved bridge allows users to better perceive their destination," it added. WSP and Knight Architects looked to create a "light and airy structure" to minimise its impact on the surrounding landscape. This approach extended to the integrated bridge lighting, which was designed to minimise light pollution. 

 

The bridge caters exclusively to pedestrians, cyclists and public transport users. 
Photo by Markus Lintu 

"The design prioritised minimising light pollution, controlling glare and precisely directing light onto walking and cycling surfaces, ensuring safety at night without excessive brightness in distant views," the studio said. "The aim was to create a light and airy structure over one kilometre in length, minimising its impact on the surrounding landscape." 

DIDJA KNOW? / HOW DOES BLUETOOTH WORK?

WHAT'S HARALD HAVE TO DO WITH ALL THIS?

 The name “Bluetooth” itself comes from a 10th-century Danish king, Harald Bluetooth, who united rival tribes. The inventors thought it was a fitting metaphor for a technology that “unites” devices from different manufacturers. 

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Bluetooth is essentially a tiny two-way radio system designed for short-range communication between devices. Your phone, headphones, keyboard, car stereo, and smartwatch all contain miniature radio transmitters and receivers that talk to one another over a specific slice of the radio spectrum. 

 Bluetooth operates in the 2.4 GHz ISM band, the same general neighborhood used by Wi-Fi, cordless phones, and even microwave ovens. Instead of staying on one frequency, Bluetooth rapidly “hops” between many frequencies thousands of times per second. 

This technique, called frequency hopping spread spectrum, helps reduce interference and makes the connection more reliable. 

 At the simplest level, the process works like this: 

 Discovery: 

A Bluetooth device announces its presence by broadcasting tiny packets of information: “I’m here. I’m a speaker,” or “I’m a keyboard.” Your phone or computer scans for nearby broadcasts and displays available devices. 

 Pairing: 

When you select a device, the two devices establish trust. Older systems used PIN codes like “0000” or “1234.” Modern Bluetooth usually performs encrypted key exchanges automatically. The devices create shared security keys so they can recognize one another later without repeating setup. 

 Connection:

 Once paired, the devices form a short-range radio link. One device usually acts as the “central” controller, while the other behaves as a peripheral or accessory. 

Data Transfer:

 The devices exchange digital information encoded into radio signals: 

• Music to headphones 

• Keystrokes from a keyboard 

• GPS data to a car dashboard 

• Health statistics from a smartwatch Bluetooth converts the information into binary data, transmits it by radio, and reconstructs it on the receiving end. Bluetooth is intentionally low power. Unlike Wi-Fi, which aims for speed and range, Bluetooth was designed for efficiency and convenience. That’s why earbuds can run for hours on tiny batteries. There are actually several flavors of Bluetooth: 

 • Classic Bluetooth Used for audio streaming, speakers, car systems, keyboards, etc. 

 • Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) Designed for tiny devices needing long battery life, such as fitness trackers, medical sensors, AirTags, and smart-home gadgets. 

 Typical range: 

• Older Bluetooth: about 30 feet • Modern versions: often 100 feet or more in open air Modern Bluetooth versions also support: 

• Stereo audio 

• Device tracking 

• Mesh networking for smart homes 

• Simultaneous multiple connections 

• Better encryption and lower latency