The London Borough of Wandsworth has launched an international call for architects and engineers interested in envisioning what could be the second pedestrian bridge to rise near the Battersea Power Station development. The two-stage ideas competition, whose announcement comes shortly after the recent approval of Thomas Heatherwick’s Garden Bridge, believes that the bridge could potentially become “one of the most expressive and visible landmarks in London.”
Though the competition cannot guarantee that the winning design will be built, partial funding has already been budgeted for the bridge’s future construction and it is hoped that the winning design can be used to attract further interest and funding. Continue reading to learn more.
The £40 million bridge is part of a larger £1 billion masterplan for the 195-hectare Nine Elms district. It will be designed to serve up to 9,000 pedestrians and 9,000 cyclists daily, between Nine Elms and Pimlico, and connect two distinct parts of the city: the classic townscape of the north shore and the newly developed south shore.
“This bridge is also a badly needed and valuable piece of infrastructure for London. It has a very strong transport case, will support the city’s growth and has significant funding commitments already in place. Developing an inspiring, beautiful design will allow us to take the project to the next stage and ensure this project comes off the page into reality in a much shorter timeframe,” stated Ravi Govindia, Leader of Wandsworth Council and co-chair of the Nine Elms Vauxhall Partnership
The winning team will be asked to develop its competition proposal, with the input of the communities on both sides of the river, to a point that it could be delivered by a contractor. “This means,” says the competition’s website, “that the winning team will need not only to have wonderful design and technical skills but also to be excellent communicators, capable of inspiring people from differing backgrounds and with different aspirations.”
The selection jury will be chaired by Graham Stirk of Rogers Stirk Harbour. Deadlines of the first round of submissions is January 13, 2015. A winner will be announced at the end of July. Learn more about the Nine Elms and Pimlico Bridge Competition, here.
