West End Bridge Competition
Pittsburgh, PA
2005

The "Pittsburgh" sign is affixed to the cables of a new suspension arch in our design for the West End Bridge Competition. The arch, which supports a pedestrian walkway and a bike path, will mark the western edge of the city. The sign will shimmer gaily in the early Sunday afternoon sun as football fans walk from downtown to the stadium. Light filtering through the welded wire mesh screen will stripe automobiles and pedestrians. Legible against the dark slopes, the letters are defined not by the presence of the screens, but rather by their absence. The letters show that the city is defined not by its form but by what is left when the form has gone away, namely our people.

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