Bystrup and Robin Snell win plaudits for vision of London's spiralling car-free bridge
A design team led by Bystrup Architecture Design and Engineering has won a design competition for central London’s first car-free bridge for cyclists and pedestrians.
Wandsworth Council, which is overseeing the project, is now likely to name the design team as preferred bidder for the project, which will link Nine Elms and Pimlico.
The full winning design team includes several companies: Bystrup, Robin Snell & Partners, ÅF Lighting Aecom and COWI Engineering. They were chosen ahead of shortlisted lead firms Arup and Buro Happold.
They have proposed a slender bridge featuring two single spire masts and spiralling access ramps at both ends. The bridge will be raised high above the banks of the river, so that large vessels can pass beneath.
“From the outset we wanted to design an elegant bridge that provided simple and uninhibited access for all, with minimal impact landings on each bank,” said lead architect Erik Bystrup.
“We are very excited that this will be the first shared pedestrian and cycle bridge over the Thames, adding to the rich history of London’s river crossings.”
Graham Stirk, senior partner at Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners and chair of the competition jury panel, said: “Ultimately we felt that Bystrup and their partners had the most compelling approach to the challenges posed in our brief. Their strategy is elegant and simple, they aspire to celebrate the river and create a thing of real beauty which is what this bridge should be.
“The exploration of lighting and textured surfaces to manage movement across the bridge is both interesting and inventive. They see the bridge as a sustainable transport link and piece of new public realm which should be attractive, fun and a pleasure to use.”
A final decision on the design will be made by the council’s executive group on November 30. It will decide whether the proposal will promote active commuting, create a landmark for the area and meet the suggested £40m (US$60m, €57m) budget – of which £26m (US$39m, €37m) has already been raised through developments in the Nine Elms district.
The development of the bridge is part of the London mayor’s London Plan and is supported by local government group Transport for London (TfL) – which has sets out five options on this stretch of the river where a bridge could be accommodated.
However, some local residents have hit out at the project, arguing that the development is unnecessary given alternative bridges nearby and will eat up valuable green space in Pimlico Gardens.
Negotiations and consultations will continue once the council reaches its decision, which is expected by the end of the month. No planning or construction timeline has yet been given.
A number of high-profile bridge developments have been earmarked for London, including Thomas Heatherwick’s controversial £175m (US$294m, €216m) Garden Bridge and an opening cycle bridge connecting Canary Wharf with Rotherhithe.
Study gives green light to opening London cycle bridge
Crucial beakthrough reached in London Garden Bridge funding stand-off
Top teams in running for new London cycling bridge over the Thames
Shortlist announced for London's Nine Elms Bridge project
Boris Johnson approves Heatherwick’s London Garden Bridge
Another Bridge for the Thames? Design competition launched
Westminster Council approves London’s Garden Bridge
BIG unveils Eve Music Hall as Croatia venue nears completion
Bob Rogers hands BRC to long-serving leadership team
Wellness care hospital opens in Vilnius with innovative spa and hospitality concept
Universal and Puy du Fou projects point to rise of Oxford–Cambridge corridor
A proposed Puy du Fou development near Bicester and Universal Destinations and Experiences’ planned resort in Bedford are emerging as part of a wider transformation of the Oxford–Cambridge Growth Corridor into a major centre for UK leisure and tourism investment.
For years, the corridor has been associated primarily with science, technology, housing and university-led economic growth. However, the clustering of large-scale visitor attraction projects along the
All-inclusive eco-wellness development Auko to open near Vietnam’s Son Doong caves
Shedd Aquarium upgrades its visitor experience with new Immersion Theater
Shedd Aquarium has opened the Immersion Theater developed in partnership with SimEx-Iwerks, as part of a wider strategy to enhance the guest experience and create additional revenue opportunities.
The attraction has transformed the aquarium’s Phelps Auditorium into a multi-sensory venue combining panoramic projection, environmental effects and interactive technology.
A new pre-show area allows visitors to engage with augmented reality marine animals before entering the
Mandarin Oriental announces standalone Mansions-branded residences for Abu Dhabi
MCR is planning a luxury hotel for London's BT Tower
Joy as a radical act: Yinka Ilori launches solo exhibition celebrating the rebellious power of spreading happiness
Work gets underway on Madrid's €800 million leisure complex
Work is underway in Madrid on one of Europe’s most significant multi-functional complexes, combining sport, entertainment, culture and education.
The €800 million initiative to regenerate the former Olympic Aquatic Centre in the north-east of the city, next to the Riyadh Air Metropolitano stadium, is being led by Barsento – a joint venture between Live Nation Entertainment, Oak View Group and Atlético de Madrid. The project will
Therme Manchester reveals 90:90 strategy – 90 per cent of the UK population within a 90-minute drive of a Therme
Four Seasons’ Naples Beach Club opens 2,800sq m Sanctuary spa inspired by indigenous Calusa people
Orient Express Corinthian to host Ocean Rebirth wellness retreat in collaboration with Guerlain
Famed London nightclub, Tramp, launches Tramp Health
First look: Miraval opens on the Red Sea in Saudi Arabia
Hainan Science Museum by Ma Yansong, opens in China
A new science museum has opened to the public in Haikou after attracting more than 350,000 visitors during a four-month soft opening period.
Designed by Ma Yansong and his practice MAD Architects, the Hainan Science Museum is located on the edge of Wuyuan River National Wetland Park and has already recorded peak attendance of more than 5,800 visitors in a single day.
Commissioned by
Zannier Île De Bendor launches with design by Hardel Le Bihan Architectes
Sæl Spa readies for launch in London: “a modern British sanctuary”
Immersive art bathhouse Submersive announces debut location in Austin
Construction begins on regenerative wellness destination The Shenandoah Nature Resort
Royal Caribbean reveals record-breaking cruise ship
V&A East opens in London
David Geffen galleries open at LACMA
New venue The Lands by Capella includes a longevity centre to complement sister hotel Capella Sydney
World of Frozen launches at Disneyland Paris
Pical Resort by Valamar reveals first Croatian spa under the ESPA brand
Mandarin Oriental creates end-to-end Egyptian journey with two new hotels and first-ever luxury river cruise
Designers Mendil + Meyer launch new division called Lām Concepts for strategic wellness projects
Wilderness Bisate in Rwanda reveals brand’s second Sanctuary spa
4a Architekten shares details of wellness extension at Salinarium Bad Dürkheim Thermal Spa
Designed to restore neglected land and renew the identity of Iraq’s capital city, Baghdad Sustainable Forests promises a new way of living surrounded by nature. Gensler’s Ian Mulcahay tells us why he thinks the project could become a model for the repair and enhancement of urban centres
