Danish Firm Wins Prize To Build London Bridge

A competition to design and construct London's first pedestrian and cyclists' bridge has been won by Danish firm Bystrup.

The competition was organised by Wandsworth Council who were looking for a bridge to link Nine Elms, south of the river with Pimlico, to its north.

The winner had to meet a number of key criteria, practical or otherwise.

For example, it had to be fully accessible for disabled people as well as safe and attractive for its intended target of cyclists and pedestrians while it had to minimise the loss of open space and enhance the area where the bridge "landed".

Architect Graham Stirk, who headed the competition jury panel decided that Bystrup's design was the best of the 74 entries.

He said: "This was an extremely difficult choice between four excellent teams, but 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."

Erik Bystrup, speaking on behalf of the winning team, which included British architects Robin Snell & Partners, said: "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.

"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."

The scheme is backed by TfL and the Mayor's Office, which is looking for ways to ease the congestion and pollution in the city.

The bridge design, a Wandsworth Council spokesman said, fits the brief of what they were looking for and adds its own innovative qualities with, for instance, the lighting style.

"Its use of lighting in terms of managing the number of people crossing the bridge is also a first," he said. "It's used quite a bit in the Scandinavian countries and northern Europe but it's the first time it’s been used in the UK."

Acknowledging some Londoners were uncertain about a new bridge or worried about the impact on nearby Pimlico Gardens, the spokesman said he hoped the benefits would outweigh any possible drawbacks and local residents would come to see it as a striking addition to the river.