The Euro has been around for over 20 years! The European Bank recently announced an upcoming redesign of the banknotes. Though many of us handle paper money daily, it’s easy to forget what’s depicted on them currently. As a reminder: each bill features architectural objects, a bridge and an arch.
So where are these apparently great bridges and arches of Europe located? There are two correct answers to this question.
The first right answer is — nowhere! For diplomatic reasons, European officials avoided using real landmarks on the notes, so no cities or countries would seem favoured. That is why all the euro bridges are fictional. Each bill reflects a different architectural era: Classicism, Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque-Rococo and Modern. These bridges and arches were created by an Austrian designer Robert Kalina.
The second correct answer is — in the Netherlands, near Rotterdam. As a joke, Dutch designer Robin Stam suggested building seven bridges from euro banknotes, and the local city council decided to support his idea and funded the construction of the bridges. A joke gone too far: seven bridges appeared in a residential neighbourhood in the suburb of Spijkenisse in 2013.
The bridge dimensions don’t match real Gothic and Baroque ones, but suit the local context as pedestrian and cyclist crossings. Their playful scale makes them look like giant models — adding to their humour and charm.
It is notable that twenty years ago the Commission chose man-made objects like architecture and design to represent Europe.
You can already read about design ideas for the new banknotes on the European Commission’s website. The range of themes is quite wide: from “European Culture” to “Rivers of Europe”. Will something architectural be featured on the Euro again? We will soon find out!
