Just a few days before opening the renovated Japanese-style arched bridge in Sarah P. Duke Gardens, Paul Jones, curator of the Asiatic Arboretum for 35 years, has already started witnessing how much visitors are enjoying the bridge's new look.
"You can just see the want in their eyes, especially now that it's more or less obvious that it's safe to cross," said Jones. "It'll be nice to open it again."
Timelapse of the red bridge painting.
Jones oversaw the four-month-long renovation of the bridge, which is a favorite spot for many visitors and subject of countless photos. After nearly 30 years, the wood in the initial bridge had aged significantly. The concrete base of the initial bridge remains, but the wood has been replaced with cedar railings and hardwood flooring. The makeover also created smaller protected openings on the railings to make it safer for children and added finer architectural design.
"I think it's much prettier for one thing," said Jones. "The style of it is nicer."
When visitors climb over the new bridge, one major difference may stand out. The bridge is now 8-feet longer in order to reduce the severity of the arc and make it easier for visitors to cross.
"If you found it a bit difficult to traverse the steepness of the arc, you might find it a little bit more user-friendly now," Jones said.
The bridge floor boards are recycled from a deck that was built many years ago in a renovation of the Bryan Center and subsequently removed in a more recent upgrade. The University held on to the lumber because it’s a very durable, reusable and valuable tropical hardwood.
"That's so great because especially where Japanese gardening is concerned, recycling is important," Jones said.
Since the railings of the new bridge are built from western red cedar, the initial plan was to create a naturally weathered wooden bridge. However, a Japanese landscape architect convinced Jones otherwise, explaining it has become an iconic feature of the garden that visitors have come to know as the "red bridge." While the color of the bridge remains red, it's a different shade than before, one more authentically aligned with the hue of a traditional red bridge in Japan. After exploring numerous options, the paint Jones settled on is plainly named "Red."
"It's not just a basic, deep red as it was. It's a little bit more towards orange. It's brighter," said Jones.
The most recent paint job is not the first for the bridge. In fact, the bridge was pale gray for decades before it was originally painted red in 2010.
Now, there are exponentially more photos of the bridge in red because of the increase in the number of people with access to cameras and online sharing since the color change. The iconic bridge is one of the most well-known features of the Gardens and is often prominently featured in photographs highlighting life moments including engagements, weddings and commencements.
Along with the red bridge, visitors can expect additional landscape design enhancements in the Asiatic Arboretum over the coming months.
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