Heatherwick blames 'political wrangling' for Garden Bridge woes
– Thomas Heatherwick
“Endless political wrangling” is responsible for the likely abandonment of London’s Garden Bridge project, its designer Thomas Heatherwick has claimed.
Last week London mayor Sadiq Khan said his office will not guarantee to underwrite the bridge’s operational and maintenance costs, if private funding and commercial operations can not cover them. Planning permissions for the bridge require such a commitment from the mayor.
In a letter to Lord Mervyn Davies, chair of the Garden Bridge Trust, Khan said the lack of all the necessary land use agreements for the bridge and a significant funding shortfall means the project is too much of a risk to the taxpayer.
Today (2 May), Heatherwick has given his view in an opinion piece written for the London Evening Standard newspaper – which has long supported the scheme, as has its new editor, former British chancellor George Osborne.
He said ending the project now, when “large sums of public and philanthropic money have been pledged and spent” would represent “such a missed opportunity and waste of resources.”
“Whatever the politics, to me as a Londoner this is saddening,” he said, adding that “it is always easier to stop an unusual new idea than to make it happen.”
Critics of the project – which would see a 366m-long footbridge supporting an expansive garden stretch from the top of Temple underground station on the Northbank to the South Bank – have hit out at the rising costs of the bridge, the restrictions that would be placed on members of the public wishing to use it, and the controversial procurement process that saw Heatherwick Studio win the contract.
In response, Heatherwick has claimed it would be a landmark for London. “What parent wouldn’t want to be able to stand with their child, in the middle of the greenest bridge in the world and marvel at the greatest city on Earth?” he wrote.
“I firmly believe it will happen one day. I just hope we don’t have to wait too long.”
The Garden Bridge Trust, which told CLAD it remains “very confident we can raise the remaining funds required” for the project, has not confirmed how it plans to proceed following Khan’s decision. It could request an amendment to the planning conditions from the local authorities involved.
“I first got excited about the idea of a garden bridge when it was pointed out to me that despite having the best views in the whole city, the human experience of our river crossings tends to be of pavements attached to the side of dual carriageways.
“Anyone trying to look at the view is buffeted by wind and the cars, buses, lorries and motorbikes roaring behind you. And when you ask people if they have ever been asked to meet someone on one of London’s bridges, the answer is always “never”.
“The exciting question seemed to be whether a bridge could be an actual place rather than just a link.
“Creating calm, walkable and connected public spaces has become an urgently needed glue to hold city centres together.
“Anyone who has experienced the magic stitching of New York’s dislocated West Side by the raised High Line Park created on a disused railway line (whose creators have been advising the Garden Bridge Trust) can envisage what this can do.
“Our north bank hides an amazing wealth of medieval history, but new developments of luxury apartments risk cutting it off and creating a dead zone for pedestrians.
“The north and south banks feel like two different countries. Standing on Aldwych you feel a million miles from the relaxed energy of The Queen’s Walk.
“But a bridge of 366 metres, free to use, open every day, holding a garden created by amazing plantsman Dan Pearson, that you don’t get whooshed along by cars but lets you dawdle and gaze; that sounded to me like a completely new type of space that Londoners could get something from.
“I firmly believe it will happen one day. I just hope we don’t have to wait too long.”
London mayor scraps plan for Garden Bridge
Supporters of London's Garden Bridge and New York's Pier 55 vow to keep Heatherwick projects alive
GoCo Health Innovation City in Sweden plans to lead the world in delivering wellness and new science
Aman sister brand Janu debuts in Tokyo with four-floor urban wellness retreat
€38m geothermal spa and leisure centre to revitalise Croatian city of Bjelovar
Two Santani eco-friendly wellness resorts coming to Oman, partnered with Omran Group
Kerzner shows confidence in its Siro wellness hotel concept, revealing plans to open 100
Ritz-Carlton, Portland unveils skyline spa inspired by unfolding petals of a rose
Rogers Stirk Harbour & Partners are just one of the names behind The Emory hotel London and Surrenne private members club
Peninsula Hot Springs unveils AUS$11.7m sister site in Australian outback
IWBI creates WELL for residential programme to inspire healthy living environments
Conrad Orlando unveils water-inspired spa oasis amid billion-dollar Evermore Resort complex
Studio A+ realises striking urban hot springs retreat in China's Shanxi Province
Populous reveals plans for major e-sports arena in Saudi Arabia
Wake The Tiger launches new 1,000sq m expansion
Othership CEO envisions its urban bathhouses in every city in North America
Merlin teams up with Hasbro and Lego to create Peppa Pig experiences
SHA Wellness unveils highly-anticipated Mexico outpost
One&Only One Za’abeel opens in Dubai featuring striking design by Nikken Sekkei
Luxury spa hotel, Calcot Manor, creates new Grain Store health club
'World's largest' indoor ski centre by 10 Design slated to open in 2025
Murrayshall Country Estate awarded planning permission for multi-million-pound spa and leisure centre
Aman's Janu hotel by Pelli Clarke & Partners will have 4,000sq m of wellness space
Therme Group confirms Incheon Golden Harbor location for South Korean wellbeing resort
Universal Studios eyes the UK for first European resort
King of Bhutan unveils masterplan for Mindfulness City, designed by BIG, Arup and Cistri
Rural locations are the next frontier for expansion for the health club sector
Tonik Associates designs new suburban model for high-end Third Space health and wellness club
Aman sister brand Janu launching in Tokyo in 2024 with design by Denniston's Jean-Michel Gathy
The Peninsula London unveils Peter Marino-designed spa inspired by London’s famous parks
First glimpses revealed of Mandarin Oriental, Mayfair's subterranean spa retreat
"Architecture is alive" says Ma Yansong, as Shenzhen art museum opens exhibition showcasing work of MAD Architects
Creating the 9/11 Memorial Museum in New York involved meticulous planning. Its director Alice Greenwald tells us more