The advent of the Republic heralded the introduction of new urban infrastructures, integral to the manifestation of modernity. In Florianópolis, the capital of Santa Catarina, these infrastructures provided the material foundation for significant transformations in urban space and transport on the island. The Hercílio Luz Bridge, constructed using pioneering steel techniques of the era, introduced a novel sensorial dimension to the maritime landscape, juxtaposed against the pre-existing organizational forms of daily urban life. This infrastructural development played a crucial role in shaping the visual experience and the socio-cultural imaginaries of modernity, encapsulating new modes of desire, meaning, and fantasy, thus embodying a tangible reconfiguration of urban living. This study examines a segment of Florianópolis’ historical memory through photographic documentation of the bridge, which has emerged as a symbol of this transformative process from its inception in 1922 to its reopening in 2019 after 28 years of closure due to structural issues.