Local studio MacDonald Architects has designed the safety nets recently installed on each side of the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco to prevent people from jumping from its sides.
Designed by MacDonald Architects on behalf of Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District (GGBHT) ? the state district that manages the bridge, the deterrent nets were completed on earlier this month.
According to the GGBHT, the nets were installed on 95 per cent of the 87-year-old bridge, with some sections currently under construction having vertical fences installed.
The marine-grade stainless steel nets were installed 20 feet (six metres) below the sidewalk and stretch 20 feet out from the bridge, suspended at intervals by red-painted steel arms that match the colour of the bridge. "The net is a proven design"
They run through the whole 1.7-mile length (2.7 kilometre) of the bridge and were installed to prevent people from taking their own lives by jumping from the bridge.
They are meant to catch people who jump from the bridge, allowing the on-site security to retrieve the individuals from the net.
According to GGBHT, there have been an average of 30 confirmed suicides every year on the bridge for the past 20 years.
"The purpose of the net is to reduce the number of deaths associated with individuals jumping off the Bridge," said GGBHT in a statement.
"The net is a proven design that deters people from jumping, serves as a symbol of care and hope to ...