Once every four years the world comes together to celebrate athletes competing at the Winter Olympic Games. For the participants, to win a medal is a matter of national pride, while for the rest of the world, the tournament symbolizes a moment of global harmony and competitive spirit. And it’s this sense of unity that will be at the core of Penda's latest bridge design, which is set to debut at the 2022 Winter Olympic Games, in Beijing. The inspiration for Penda, which is a Beijing- and Vienna-based architecture firm, came from the five multicolored rings that make up the Olympic logo (representing the five major regions of the world). Similar to the iconic symbol, Penda’s bridge will consist of five interlinking circles that stretch and rotate, forming a three-dimensional double helix.

Called the San Shan Bridge, the structure will span the Giu River, connecting Beijing with the city of Zhangjiakou, where most of the outdoor events will take place. The bridge's name, which loosely translates to “the three mountains bridge” in English, is derived from the three peaks of the Tianhuang Mountain range that can be seen when looking at the bridge from either side.

A rendering shows the San Shan Bridge from above.

The structure’s helix-shaped arches—which were designed by Arup —are much thinner than those of traditional bridges. This, coupled with the forested mountain range in the back and opaque river water rushing beneath, gives the San Shan Bridge a dignified aesthetic quality.