Tabiat Bridge

The Tabiat pedestrian bridge, whose name means "nature", is thrown across the Modarres expressway and links two parks in the north of Tehran, Taleghani and Ab-o-Atash. It opened in 2014 to a design by the architect Leila Araghian, who won the competition while still a student. The structure is about two hundred and seventy metres long, rests on three tree-shaped columns and carries three levels: the lower and the upper ones are given over to walking, the middle one widens into terraces with benches and cafes, and the levels are joined by ramps and stairs, so the route across the bridge turns out winding rather than linear. The truss of steel tubes, curved in plan, was conceived so that a person would not pass straight through the bridge but linger on it; hence the wide decks, the green inserts and the viewing pockets. In the evening lighting that changes colour comes on, and the bridge becomes one of the main places for a walk in the city. From the upper level you can see the Alborz mountains to the north and the lights of the avenues below. Crossing the bridge is free; it links two parks above the expressway, and it is best to come towards evening, when the lighting is switched on and the cafes on the middle level are open. The ranges of the Alborz are visible from the upper level. It is one of the townspeople's favourite places for a walk.

On the map