The Figge Art Museum will host Miguel Rosales, the principal designer of the new Interstate 74 Bridge, for an Author Talk on Thursday, June 26, to discuss his new book “Bridges as Structural Art.”
The talk, I-74 Bridge: A Mississippi River Landmark, will be from 6-8 p.m. at the museum in downtown Davenport. A question-and-answer session and a book signing with Mr. Rosales will follow the talk.
His book, which features two dozen of his bridge designs including the Quad Cities’ newest Mississippi River span, will be available for purchase in the Figge’s gift store.
Mr. Rosales is the president and principal designer of Boston-based Rosales+. He has more than 35 years of expertise as a leading architect and designer for major bridges both in the U.S. and abroad. He earned a licentiate degree in architecture from Universidad Francisco Marroquín in Guatemala in 1985, and completed a master’s degree in architecture studies at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 1987.
His book “Bridges as Structural Art” showcases 25 of his transformative bridges, including the I-74 bridge connecting the Iowa and Illinois Quad Cities. He designed the original bridge concept for the $1 billion I-74 span.
According to the Rosales+ company’s website, the iconic structures featured “have become sources of pride for the communities in which they were built and tangible expressions of the art of bridge design.”
Since its opening on Dec. 1, 2021, the I-74 bridge has garnered many awards including one from the National Council of Structural Engineers Associations.
The recipient of numerous national and international bridge design and engineering awards, Mr. Rosales also has received grants from the NEA, AIA/AAF, and MIT to research bridge and infrastructure design. He is known for his ability to balance technical and aesthetic principles, conceiving cost-effective architectural bridge enhancements and delivering iconic bridges.
The talk is free. The event opens with a bar (cards only) at 5 p.m. Admission to the museum is free for all during Thursdays at the Figge, which is sponsored by Chris and Mary Rayburn.
