Millau Viaduct - Norman Foster

Spanning the spectacular gorge of the River Tarn in southern France, the Millau Viaduct provides a critical link in the A75 autoroute between Clermont-Ferrand and Beziers. Commissioned by the French state, the 2.46 km-long viaduct resolves numerous structural and design challenges in an elegant cable-stayed form. Utilising optimised, repetitive spans with piers taller than the Eiffel Tower at their zenith, the bridge is structurally and visually elegant. Not only does it exemplify technical excellence, the Millau Viaduct illustrates the powerful impact that architecture of infrastructure can have on the environment. This monograph will appeal to those interested in architecture and design; equally, it illustrates a significant engineering feat.