This wooden bridge connects Kumo no Ueno Hotel (1994), in the community of Yusuhara, with a hot spring facility. It is a contemporary structure that revives traditional wooden bridge-building techniques handed down over generations in Yusuhara, located at the source of the Shimanto River.
The center is supported by a pillar of steel and timber, with beams extending from the pillar and supporting the large-span bridge according to the system of dougong (cap and block), a basic technique of Asian timber construction. We assembled laminated beams of 30-cm-depth cedar with mid-sized cross sectional dimensions, which can be manufactured at a local laminated wood factory, producing a wooden bridge as a collection of "particles" that blends into the landscape of the ravine.
A roof over the bridge enhances the durability of the timber and makes it a multi-purpose bridge usable not only for transit but also for exhibitions and events. Part of the bridge conceals a guest room capable of accommodating overnight stays.