Sundial Bridge at Turtle Bay

Santiago Calatrava · Redding · 2004

Sundial Bridge at Turtle Bay
Don't Miss

A single leaning mast drawing time across the river—Calatrava turning a footbridge into a civic instrument.

Glass cable-stayed bridge located in Redding, California.

Featured in Santiago Calatrava's definitive monograph, Santiago Calatrava: Complete Works.

Visitor Guide

→
Visitor Tip

Walk it twice: once at normal pace, once slowly at the centerline where the cable fan reads like a diagram; after dark, come back for the underlit glass deck glow.

◎
Best Photo Spot

South bank plaza looking north, just after sunset (blue hour) when the deck illumination kicks in and the mast silhouettes cleanly.

⊞
Access & Hours

Free and open to the public daily; the adjacent Turtle Bay museum/gardens are ticketed separately.

✦
Insider Note

It’s a cantilever spar cable-stayed bridge: cables on one side only, so the foundation does the heavy emotional labor.

⏱
Time Needed

30–60 min

Design & Structure

Tensile / MembraneCatenary
⚙
Computational Process

Calatrava’s signature: sculptural structural logic, digitally modeled geometry for mast angle/cable layout, and precision fabrication for the glass deck and cable anchorage detailing.

◆
Materiality

Steel mast and stays + structural glass walking surface; the glass matters because it turns the deck into light at night.

△
Structural Innovation

Unbalanced cable-stay forces create dramatic torsion and overturning demands—engineering is about resisting the ‘lean’.

More by Santiago Calatrava

View all →

Frequently Asked Questions

Who designed Sundial Bridge at Turtle Bay?+

Sundial Bridge at Turtle Bay was designed by Santiago Calatrava and completed in 2004. It is located in Redding, United States.

Where is Sundial Bridge at Turtle Bay located?+

Sundial Bridge at Turtle Bay is located in Redding, United States. Its coordinates are 40.5929°, -122.3776°.

When was Sundial Bridge at Turtle Bay built?+

Sundial Bridge at Turtle Bay was completed in 2004. It was designed by Santiago Calatrava.

Can I visit Sundial Bridge at Turtle Bay?+

Sundial Bridge at Turtle Bay is a real building in Redding that can be viewed from the outside. Check local information for interior access and visiting hours. Use the Parametric Atlas walking tour feature to plan a route that includes this building.