A
Step-stone bridge is a simple
bridging allowing a
pedestrian to cross a natural watercourse or pond, or a garden's
water feature where water is allowed to course between stone steps. Unlike other bridges it has no spans. Step-stone bridges, along with
log bridges are likely to be the oldest bridge types. They are often built by hikers and disarranged during periods of high, fast water.
Garden crossings
In
Landscape design and
Garden design,
Step-Stone bridges cross
natural landscape style and Asian themed
water features and
"dry landscape" symbolic "water gardens."
Asian gardens
Step-Stone bridges are seen in traditional and contemporary
Chinese gardens and
Japanese gardens, and
Zen rock gardens. It is a principal bridge types in these gardens, along with
Moon bridges.
A
Zig-zag bridge was traditionally used to allow the pedestrian to fool and evade "evil spirits" following them, and used in
Zen gardens for
mindfulness practice.
Euro-American gardens
In classic and formal
western culture traditional water garden and
reflecting pool landscapes the stepping stones may be crisp rectilinear forms of stone with honed or flame treated surfaces.
Stones wider than thick may be securely mounted in a "mushroom with stalk" method, with the support stem hidden below the water's surface for a floating aesthetic.
Modernist
urban park landscapes, such as the
Seattle Freeway Park and
Keller Fountain Park,
Downtown Portland with elevation changes...
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