The Golden Gate Bridge was completed in 1937 with a 4,200-foot span between its towers, setting a world record for the longest span. The profile of the Golden Gate Strait seafloor helps explain why the span had to be so large, because placing the towers closer together would have required foundations in much deeper water. The bridge’s two towers rise 746 feet above sea level, and the south tower’s foundation extends 110 feet below the water’s surface into bedrock. The towers were shaped in the Art Deco style, with each tower’s two legs given angular, slanted forms at each horizontal strut rather than rising straight up, and sunlight, shadows, and nighttime lighting from below accentuate this architectural detailing.
