In the Eurozone, we are all exchanging euro notes on a daily base. Whereas everyone will know the colours of the different values by heart, very few people actually pay attention to the details depicted on the little pieces of paper money. So take out all those euro notes from your wallet, empty your piggy bank and get them out from under your matrass and lets have a closer look at euro bills.
Made up architecture
Euro notes come in different sizes and colours, but they all represent the same theme: European architecture from different time periods. The front side (also called recto) shows a window or an arch, and the back (verso) depicts a bridge. On top of that, Austrian designer Robert Kaline made them recognizable with the European flag, the initials of the European Central Bank, twelve stars and a map of Europe.
But if we have a closer look at the bridges on the back of the notes, do they ring any bell to you? Have you seen the bridges before? The answer is most probably not. All the bridges pictures are fictional, so the members of the Eurozone wouldn’t fight over who’s heritage should be shown on the notes. Kaline came up with a solution to represent all different stages in architecture, from classical to renaissance to modernist style, without referring to any heritage in particular. The bridges simply don’t exist, or at least, they didn’t until a few years ago.
Imagination coming to life
In the town of Spijkenisse, near Rotterdam in The Netherlands, artist Robin Stamp came up with the idea to bring the famous euro note designs to life in 2011. And so it happened. The so called Euro bridges now make one of the neighbourhoods of Spijkenisse, surrounded by a canal, accessible from all different sides. The seven crossings are precise recreations of the images on the euros. The colours of the bridges were copied, but the scale and engineering though were somewhat more loosely interpreted. Each bridge is shrunk down, to become a pedestrian crossing.
Source: Reddit.com
The project shows how architecture can be not only functional, but fun and daring at the same time. The bridges look awesome with their bright colours, post-modernist appearance and historical references. Everything you can imagine can be realised, only the canal is the limit. So take a hike, bus or plane to Spijkenisse and have a stroll over the famous euro bridges. It is really true, the best things in life are free. And if not: just pay with your imaginary money.