L I O N    B R I D G E

The "Lion Bridge" is constructed from copper, milled steel, stainless steel, and black granite. It is 3'x5'. It was conceived, designed, engineered, and fabricated by Jan Pearson. It was completed in 1993 for a private party in Tucson, Arizona.

The client, in this case, was building a jacuzzi and sauna that resembled a set from Miami Vice. the facility was done in black granite, chrome, and clear leaded glass. The sauna had been built in a corner of the jacuzzi, making it necessary to build an access bridge over a portion of the pool. Three separate shower nozzles were positioned in a vertical row up one side of the bridge and a fourth was overhead.

I was contracted to design and build a bridge over which people could cross to the sauna or on which they could shower. The client indicated there should be some interesting or trick method for actuation of the four shower nozzles focused on the bridge. Prior to the request, the client had commissioned me to design and sculpt a drinking fountain in the form of a lion's head for this same facility. A continuation of the lion as a theme was chosen. After consultation with the client and people associated with him, I chose the "European Heraldry Lion." I redesigned it to make it more contemporary. I decided that the faucet-actuating arm would be in the outstretched arm of the lion and would build a button into the paw. The operator would depress the button, lower the arm, and the showers would come on. Aside from designing the faucet actuating arm and its stainless steel inner workings, there were a multitude of other, not so obvious, problems to be solved. Although all metal parts were chrome-plated, the fabrication of the steel components had to be done in such as way as not to encourage rust. The body of the lion as well as the bridge had to be structurally sound enough to carry the weight of a man, and serve as a stable and solid hand rail. The mechanical parts of the arm and its locking components needed to be over-built and maintenance free. Once the arm was assembled, access would be impossible. Access to components subject to wear or deterioration, such as chain, gears, or valve, need to be provided. A construction method had to be devised that would allow components to be bolted together and yet maintain clean and polished lines. The components had to be disassembled for the chroming process because chroming inside the enclosed area is not viable. Since the body of the lion was done in soft copper, a stainless steel superstructure was integrated with the interior parts of the lion's body and tail.

A drain pan was added to the bottom of the bridge, so removable grates were incorporated to give access for cleaning purposes. The grates hinged at one end and snapped into place with a camming action at the other. Because of the threat of corrosion, great care was used tin the fabrication of the bridge components. Note the delicate frame around each of the three grates, which provide the ridged support necessary.

A small book could be written on the construction of the project and how each of these problems was solved. Suffice it to say that each of the problems were solved. The unit has been in place since 1993 and there have been no call backs or problems.