Lost Hills, California, USA
Spanning the Paso Robles Highway at the eastern edge of Lost Hills, a sinuous pedestrian bridge connects Lost Hills Park to the North, with a Preschool and College Prep Academy to the South.
Wonder Bridge by SPF:architects, won an 2026 International Architecture Award from The Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design.
Bisected by a busy highway with only one controlled intersection, the hamlet of Lost Hills was, before construction of the Wonder Bridge, essentially cleaved in half.
Transited by large trucks, the highway presented a significant barrier to pedestrians looking to safely cross.
SPF: A was engaged to design the bridge at a location directly adjacent to Lost Hills Park.
From the beginning, it was important that the bridge not only connect the northern and southern halves of Lost Hills, but as a significant piece of infrastructure on the otherwise flat landscape, also stand as a gateway to Lost Hills.
The plan of the bridge is inspired by the curl of a lizard’s tail and the flow of swirling water. The resulting spiral shape allowed for a gentle transition and ease of ADA access from grade level to the required 20 feet above the roadway.
The bridge span itself is a very typical 176-foot-cast-in-place concrete structure, slightly modified to accept the green railing/fence armature that transforms from a code-required railing at the base of the bridge to a curved arched geometry, culminating in a heart shape at the center of the bridge symbolizing community and its benefactor.
Project: Wonder Bridge
Architects: SPF:architects
Lead Architect: Zoltan Pali
Landscape Architects: AHBE, MIG
General Contractor: Granite Construction
Client: The Wonder Company
Photographers: Mike Kelle
