Millau Viaduct

This book follows the evoloution of Millau Viaduct in southern France from first sketches through to completion, as designed and executed by Foster + Partners, with engineer Michel Virlogeux. 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.