Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[Veravera]

However, size and strength are not the only important things about this bridge. Despite its immensity, it is both simple and elegant, fulfilling its designer's dream to create *'an enormous object drawn as faintly as possible'*.

What does the last sentence mean?
Thanks!

[lotus]

Hi Veravera,

In engineering and design, we try to achieve balance between form and function. A bridge needs to have a certain size to function. We can reduce that somewhat with creative design and materials. But no matter how well we design the bridge, its size will be an overriding factor. Some bridges have good form and are extremely elegant, especially suspension bridges. Even so - like the ill-fated suspension bridge in Washington State - they have their limitations.

The designer's dream is to create "an enormous bridge as faintly as possible." He/she wants to create a solid bridge with a slim design. This is the goal of almost every engineering project. Simplicity is not as simple an achievement as one might think.


--lotus