Heneghan Peng make 2012 Olympic Bridge shortlist

A mix of established designers, engineers and emerging young practices, including Ireland's Heneghan Peng, have made the shortlist in a design competition for a major footbridge in the centre of the 2012 Olympic Park. Following a strong response by more than 46 teams, the ODA has announced a shortlist of six teams which includes a range of leading design and engineering firms. The six shortlisted teams are:

McDowell+Benedetti, Jane Wernick Associates, Craft Pegg and Sutton Vane Associates
Heneghan Peng Architects and Adams Kara Taylor Engineers
Ron Arad Associated, Buro Happold and Landscape Architects - BBUK Studio
Softroom and Eckersley O'Callaghan
Future Systems and Adams Kara Taylor
Tonkin Liu, Atelier One, Grant Associates and BDP Sustainability

The competition, launched in May, was for multi-disciplined teams including structural engineers, architects, designers and landscape architects to design the footbridge which will span 26m over Carpenters Lock on the River Le Waterway. The bridge will be located on the central pedestrian concourse in the Olympic Park - a key link between the Olympic Stadium, Aquatics Centre and Basketball Arena.

This announcement follows the launch of the ODA’s Design Strategy last month which outlines how design will be incorporated into every aspect of the planning and delivery of the venues and infrastructure needed for the 2012 Game and Legacy. The planning and design of the bridge will integrate both Games and legacy use. After 2012, the structure will feature two permanent separate spans over the River Lea, each 6.5m wide.

In Games time, a temporary bridge around 41m wide will be constructed in between and joined onto the 2 permanen spans to create a single 54m wide structure able to accommodate increased spectator numbers. The shortlisted teams will now be asked to develop concept design proposals for the permanent and temporary bridge and the immediate surrounding landscape.

Teams will be asked to submit design ideas for the footbridge to form a centrepiece in the Olympic Park while reflecting the design and identity of the surrounding Park and infrastructure. The shortlisted teams' submissions will be assessed in September by a Design Jury which will include Ricky Burdet, Professor Chris Wise, Peter Bishop and Bob Allies of Allies and Morrison.

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