Urban Splash footbridge competition,

New Islington, Manchester

Entry with Thornton Tomasetti Postawa de Hoog (structural engineers)

Client: Urban Splash

Status: competition entry

This competition brief was to find a suitable footbridge design for a new canal junction in the regeneration area of New Islington in Manchester,

not far from the Sport City complex.

The bridge needed to span both aspects of the canal (thus landing in three

separate places), which, to complicate matters were all at differing levels.

The bridge also had to be set at a height to allow canal traffic to pass

underneath, but ensure access for wheelchair users and pushchairs.

...a sickle shaped dish which appears to 'cut' a new mouth into the canal junction....

Our proposal was for a sickle shaped dish which appears to 'cut' a new mouth into the canal junction, recalling the historical cutting of the canal network. This circular element which has a profiled section to negotiate

the various site levels, is suspended from a huge corten steel arm. As the

bridge is suspended it means that no supports and needed underneath the bridge which may interefere with canal traffic.

The rusted appearance of the corten steel arm makes reference to the

industrial heritage of the city and the canal network, whilst the concrete dish element offers a more contemporary element.