Leonardo da Vinci - Research Paper Example

Leonardo had designed a helicopter, a tank, as well as a calculator. He had often made important discoveries on hydrodynamics, civil engineering, as well as optics. During his lifetime, he was also well reputed for his skills in engineering. The bridge was later made to span an inlet at the mouth of Bosporous, which is also known as the Golden Horn. Beyazid did not approve the project since he believed that such a bridge would not work out. Leonardo was often called as the “renaissance man” since he was extra ordinarily talented in different streams.

He was a versatile genius in every sense. Leonardo was engaged in the construction of bridges for most of his life time. His revolving bridges were able to transport armies over water bodies. The bridges he designed, and got constructed for the armies, had made it easier for the armies to cross quite a vast numbers of rivers. Leonardo’s statue was erected in 2001, when a small bridge was constructed in Norway. The Turkish Government on 17 May decided to construct Leonardo’s bridge (which he designed earlier) to span the Golden Horn.

The bridge becomes a reality 500 years after its designing. It was Vebjorn Sand, an artist in Norway, who took the initiative to construct it. He saw the sketch and the miniature form of the bridge at an exhibition of Da Vinci’s architectural and engineering designs. . “The Mona Lisa of bridges” as what people call it today was sketched by Da Vinci 500 years ago, though many thought the implementation of such a design would be impossible. Vebjorn Sand’s version of it is like this. “This is the first time any of Leonardo's architectural and civil engineering designs has been built.

There have been models, but this is the first in full size," (Da Vinci Comes to Life 500 Years on, 2001). Sand was the ideal person to take up the project of the Golden Horn bridge since he was not only a famous painter but was also the one who was acclaimed for his gigantic public art installations. Now Golden Horn has become the famous water way in Istanbul and it separates England from Asia. It is quite unbelievable that the bridge was designed in 1502, and that it took 500 years for someone to convert it into a reality.

Vebjorn Sand deserves accolades for it. Sand was purely influenced by the traditions of Renaissance and Baroque, and believed that “we shouldn’t live in the past, but the past should live in us” (Sahlins, 2007). For the next few years, Sand spent most of his time and effort in transforming the dream design into a reality. In 2001, the project was completed. The original version of the design was 240 meter or 720 feet stone structure, which was intended to span Golden Horn as an inlet between Istanbul and Pera.

This project could not achieve its form during Da Vinci’s period since the technology of the period was not that efficient. Leonardo bridge was an elegant project with 100 meters or approximately 300 feet length. Moreover it is remarkable in its perfection of pressed-bow construction. In accordance with Da Vinci’s original plan, Sand is creating a