Designers from across the globe have submitted rival ideas for a new bridge linking Nine Elms to Pimlico.
Dozens of rival designs for a new pedestrian and cycle bridge across the Thames have been unveiled as part of an international design competition run by Wandsworth Council.
The bridge would span the river between Nine Elms and Pimlico, plugging the wide gap between the Vauxhall and Chelsea bridges.
A total of 74 professional teams from across the globe have entered the contest including some of the biggest names in the architecture and engineering industries as well as some of the most exciting up and coming talents.
At this stage of the EU regulated competition the designs are being displayed on an anonymous basis.
This ensures new talent can compete on a level playing field with established practices.
The first stage design ideas have been published online and showcased to communities in Nine Elms and Pimlico at local exhibitions.
Wandsworth Council asked Londoners to have their say and comments will be fed into the competition’s jury panel which includes Wandsworth Council leader Ravi Govindia, Lambeth councillor Joanne Simpson, architect Graham Stirk, engineer Henry Bardsley and CABE chair Pam Alexander.
Each design proposal is now undergoing a detailed technical assessment. In March the jury panel will recommend a shortlist of up to four teams to go through to the next competitive stage and to develop more detailed plans.
Leader of Wandsworth Council and jury panel member, Cllr Ravi Govindia, said: “We challenged the world’s designers to come up with creative solutions to a very complex set of design, engineering and transport challenges. The response is testament to the exceptional talent out there. We have now begun to analyse each proposal in detail [...]”.
“To succeed this bridge must be two things at once. It must be a beautiful piece of architecture and a valuable new transport link. This is what our growing city needs and thanks to this competition we now have more than 70 different approaches to consider.”
Once the winning design is selected, it would need to go through the planning process before work could begin.
Find out more at NEP Bridge Competition
Source: Wandsworth Council's press release
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