Thomas Heatherwick reveals garden bridge designed for River Thames

Thomas Heatherwick has released images of a proposal for a garden to span the River Thames on a new pedestrian bridge.

The design was developed by Heatherwick Studio after Transport for London awarded it a tender to develop ideas for improving pedestrian links across the river.

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Images show two fluted piers supporting a walkway planted with trees, grasses and flowers, offering views of the surrounding city.

"With its rich heritage of allotments, gardens, heathland, parks and squares, London is one of the greenest cities in the world," says Thomas Heatherwick. "In this context we are excited to have been selected by TFL to explore the opportunity of a pedestrian river crossing. The idea is simple; to connect north and south London with a garden."

The structure is proposed for a site between the existing Blackfriars and Waterloo bridges, and will cost £60 million, which Heatherwick will be required to raise from private investors.

Isabel Dedring, London's deputy mayor for transport told the Evening Standard that "The mayor has been keen to find an iconic piece of green infrastructure that can symbolise London as a high quality of life place to live," adding "but if private sector funding isn’t forthcoming then the project isn’t going to be able to go ahead."

This would be the first new bridge built on the river since the Millennium Bridge by Foster + Partners, which originally opened in 2000 but was closed due to safety concerns and reopened in 2002.

from  dezeen