Pont de Singe bridge by Olivier Grossetête
French artist Olivier Grossetête used three enormous helium balloons to float a rope bridge over a lake in Tatton Park, a historic estate in north-west England.
![Pont de Singe by Olivier Grossetête Pont de Singe by Olivier Grossetête](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2012/11/dezeen_Pont-de-Singe-by-Olivier-Grossetete_6a.jpg)
Oliver Grossetête created Pont de Singe, which means "monkey bridge", for the Tatton Park Biennial, which this year was themed around flight.
![Pont de Singe by Olivier Grossetête Pont de Singe by Olivier Grossetête](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2012/11/dezeen_Pont-de-Singe-by-Olivier-Grossetete_3.jpg)
Located in the park's Japanese garden, the structure comprised a long rope bridge made of cedar wood held aloft by three helium-filled balloons. The ends of the bridge were left to trail in the water.
![Pont de Singe by Olivier Grossetête Pont de Singe by Olivier Grossetête](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2012/11/dezeen_Pont-de-Singe-by-Olivier-Grossetete_4.jpg)
Above: photograph by Thierry Bal
Though visitors weren't allowed to use the bridge, it would theoretically be strong enough to hold the weight of a person, according to Grossetête.
![Pont de Singe by Olivier Grossetête Pont de Singe by Olivier Grossetête](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2012/11/dezeen_Pont-de-Singe-by-Olivier-Grossetete_10.jpg)
Replacing the usual foundations and joints of a bridge with three balloons leads us to question our perceptions, the artist explained. "My artistic work tries to make alive the poetry and dreams within our everyday life," added Grossetête.
![Pont de Singe by Olivier Grossetête Pont de Singe by Olivier Grossetête](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2012/11/dezeen_Pont-de-Singe-by-Olivier-Grossetete_5.jpg)
The artist had previously experimented with another floating bridge in his 2007 project Pont Suspendu, where he used a cluster of helium balloons to float a small bridge structure into the air.
![Pont de Singe by Olivier Grossetête Pont de Singe by Olivier Grossetête](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2012/11/dezeen_Pont-de-Singe-by-Olivier-Grossetete_8.jpg)
Above: photography is by Toby Savage
Balloons have appeared in a number of projects we've featured on Dezeen, including a proposal for a transport network of enormous floating balloons and a bench that appears to be held up by bunches of balloons at each end.
![Pont de Singe by Olivier Grossetête Pont de Singe by Olivier Grossetête](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2012/11/dezeen_Pont-de-Singe-by-Olivier-Grossetete_9.jpg)
Above: photography is by Toby Savage
We've also featured lots of unusual bridges on Dezeen, such as a wobbling wire bridge designed to span the Seine in Paris and a sunken bridge in a moat that brings the water up to a pedestrian's eye level.
![Pont de Singe by Olivier Grossetête Pont de Singe by Olivier Grossetête](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2012/11/dezeen_Pont-de-Singe-by-Olivier-Grossetete_7.jpg)
Above: photography is by Toby Savage
See all our stories about balloons »
See all our stories about bridges »
![Pont de Singe by Olivier Grossetête Pont de Singe by Olivier Grossetête](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2012/11/dezeen_Pont-de-Singe-by-Olivier-Grossetete_2.jpg)
Photographs are by Olivier Grossetête except where stated.