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Leap over rivers with this trampoline bridge

French architecture firm has a novel way of crossing the Seine River: jump it. You can catch views of the Eiffel Tower as you hurtle into the drink.

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Tim Hornyak
Crave freelancer Tim Hornyak is the author of "Loving the Machine: The Art and Science of Japanese Robots." He has been writing about Japanese culture and technology for a decade. E-mail Tim.
Tim Hornyak
City of delights: The bouncy structure could be installed anywhere. Just don't text and jump. AZC

Is there anything more blissful than escaping gravity's grip by jumping on a trampoline? What if you could do that while going from point A to point B?

Paris architecture firm AZC has come up with a crazy way to cross the Seine River -- huge inflatable trampolines. Just hop from bank to bank.

The project is a proposal for a contemporary bridge design competition sponsored by ArchTriumph.

A bridge consisting of three giant trampolines would be located near the Bir-Hakeim bridge, which connects the 15th and 16th arrondissements in the French capital.

The enormous PVC rings would be inflated with more than 130,000 cubic feet of air, forming arches across the iconic waterway.

The rings would also support trampolines of mesh fabric stretching nearly 100 feet across. Users could bound away safely; if they jump too far, they'd fall into the Seine.

It isn't clear if the bridge will actually get installed, but the concept is too awesome to ignore. Imagine the possibilities: trampoline sidewalks, roads, and highways. Who would ever want to return to hard surfaces?

AZC

(Via Grist)