There are many arguments for a new pedestrian bridge in East London: rapidly growing communities who live and work in the area, an increasing need for non-vehicular transport, and the fact that London’s 30-odd bridges are all west of Tower Bridge. To the east, where half of London’s population lives, there is only one, 25 km east, at Dartford Crossing. But for Alex Lifshutz, Founding Director of Lifschutz Davidson Sandilands, whose design for a new foot and cycle bridge linking New Charlton and Woolwich in Greenwich with the Royal Docks and Silvertown in Newham was unveiled last week at the Royal Academy’s summer exhibition, the art of bridge-making is all about the ‘poetry of place'.
‘You have to get a feel for the genus loci', says the architect who has designed both the Golden Jubilee footbridge and the Royal Victoria Dock Bridge. ‘The bridge needs to feel like it’s always been there.' In addition to designing something that becomes part of the landscape, ‘It’s about finding a place that feels right for leaping from one side to the other,' says Lifschutz. ‘A point that feels like ‘that’s where I want to cross’.' He adds: ‘Going across the water is exciting' – especially at the current site, where the river span is at 400 metres.
As designed with maritime civil engineers, Beckett Rankine, the low cost, low impact Thames Barrier bridge was conceived by ‘using the least amount of material and the greatest ingenuity to make connections,' says Lifschutz. By siting the new bridge either upstream or downstream of the Thames Barrier, the movable dam that protects the city from the North Sea’s high tides and storm surges, impact on the flow of the river will be minimised. The 530 metre long Barrier Bridge is designed as a multi-span, double-leaf bascule bridge with yellow steel box girders supporting an aluminium mesh deck.
While most boats will be able to pass underneath with a clearance of 15 metres above high water spring tides, when larger boats do need to pass through, the multiple piers with counterweights create a series of opening spans that allow for less interruption to bridge traffic, as they can be triggered within a matter of minutes. ‘There is really only one location in east London for a relatively low bridge suitable for cycles and pedestrians,' explains Lifschutz. ‘Construction would take about 18 months and phasing would mean that at least two of the barrier openings are always open for navigation, so no river traffic would be stopped. And because the majority of the construction can be done from the river, it will minimise disturbance to residents.'
The proposed bridge would have landings at Barrier Park to the North and would connect the TfL Green Chain south of the river to walks and cycle routes extending up the Lea Valley to Stratford. Motorcars in cities, contends Lifshutz, means an enthusiastic cyclist who rides to work every day, may soon be as rare as smoking in public spaces. With the growing popularity of scooters and electric bikes he says, pedestrian and cycling bridges, offer ‘a chance to change the way urban settlements work'.
A discussion around these themes, called 'Thames Connections', takes place Wednesday 19 June 2019 as part of the London Festival of Architecture
INFORMATION
For more information visit the Lifschutz Davidson Sandilands website
-
Richard Seifert's London: 'Urban, modern and bombastically brutalist'London is full of Richard Seifert buildings, sprinkled with the 20th-century architect's magic and uncompromising style; here, we explore his prolific and, at times, controversial career
-
Fantasy – and incredible seafood – await at Carbone Riviera, now open at the Bellagio in Las VegasInterior design powerhouse Martin Brudnizki drew on the Côte d'Azur and Picasso’s ceramics for Major Food Group’s latest Sin City outpost
-
LeShuttle ups its game with a forthcoming new terminal design by Hollaway StudioLeShuttle’s overhauled terminal in Folkestone will befit its role as the prime hub for the channel tunnel and as a gateway into Europe
-
Richard Seifert's London: 'Urban, modern and bombastically brutalist'
London is full of Richard Seifert buildings, sprinkled with the 20th-century architect's magic and uncompromising style; here, we explore his prolific and, at times, controversial career
-
Welcome to The Gingerbread City – a baked metropolis exploring the idea of urban ‘play’The Museum of Architecture’s annual exhibition challenges professionals to construct an imaginary, interactive city entirely out of gingerbread
-
The Architecture Edit: Wallpaper’s houses of the monthFrom Malibu beach pads to cosy cabins blanketed in snow, Wallpaper* has featured some incredible homes this month. We profile our favourites below
-
Meet Forefront, a cultural platform redefining the relationship between art and architectureForefront co-founder Dicle Guntas, managing director of developer HGG, tells us about the exciting new initiative and its debut exhibition, a show of lumino-kinetic sculptures in London
-
Corten curves and contemporary flair transform this terraced house in LondonCagni Williams Associates’ sensitive refurbishment of a south London Edwardian house features a striking and sustainable Corten steel extension
-
You may know it as ‘Dirty House’ – now, The Rogue Room brings 21st-century wellness to ShoreditchThe Rogue Room – set in the building formerly known as Dirty House by Sir David Adjaye, now reinvented by Studioshaw – bridges wellness and culture in London's Shoreditch
-
The architectural innovation hidden in plain sight at Frieze London 2025The 2025 Frieze entrance pavilions launch this week alongside the art fair, showcasing a brand-new, modular building system set to shake up the architecture of large-scale events
-
RIBA Stirling Prize 2025 winner is ‘a radical reimagining of later living’Appleby Blue Almshouse wins the RIBA Stirling Prize 2025, crowning the social housing complex for over-65s by Witherford Watson Mann Architects, the best building of the year
