Topic Number: 35

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By: Peter Reina
Date: 2004
 
http://archrecord.construction.com/features/digital/

Presented By:
Ghada Said mohamed ali
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|      adornment to a
2.1--million
2.1 million--square
square--foot mixed
mixed--use
development in the Paddington
region of West London is a
pedestrian bridge that¶s as much
mobile sculpture as engineered
structure. Spanning the mouth of a
small dock off the Grand Union
canal, 



 rests
steady for foot traffic, but opens for
boat navigation by curling upward
and onto its one fixed support, like
a scorpion¶s tail. The 39.4-
39.4-foot
foot--long
bridge, which has a steel frame and
timber deck, was designed by
|   
 
 of
London.
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|       
 from footpath to wheel has
become a weekly spectacle for passersby since the bridge¶s
inauguration in September. The feat occurs more often when
needed for navigation. ³We think it¶s fantastic,´ says 

  ,
 , an official with Chelsfield, Paddington¶s lead
developer, which commissioned Heatherwick for the project.

Set among a number of Modern, understated buildings, the

bridge was detailed ³seriously and maturely´ and is ³almost
boring´ under normal use, says   
  ,, a project
designer. ³That heightens the element of surprise when it
starts to do its action. There is a strong element of theater.´
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      !


 completing his studies in

3D design at Manchester
Polytechnic and later the Royal
College of Art in London, 34-
34-
year--old Heatherwick has
year
adeptly blended art,
architecture, engineering, and
product design in his work.
Among his recent pieces is a
seven--story sculpture of
seven
150,000 glasslike beads, linked
by more than half a million
miles of wire, for a corporate
headquarters in London.
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 says he wanted the bridge to open in a
³sensuous manner, transforming itself entirely, rather than
simply lifting up and out of the way.´ Conventional
drawbridges or retracting bridges ³look broken´ when
opening, adds Wood.

    that curled upon itself, on the other hand,

would ³look complete in both states.´   

collaborated with an engineering team that included
structural designer SKM Anthony Hunts of Cirencester.
  
 and the firm had been looking for a site to
build an all-
all-glass bridge they had conceived in the 1990s,
says "
",, a principal of Hunts. Paddington looked
like a possible setting when Chelsfield called, but the
scheme was ultimately replaced by the 



#
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| $#%&
$#%& 

 is made
of eight segments joined
together by

# Its
articulated balustrades act as
trusses, with the deck-
deck-floor
elements acting in tension
and the handrails in
compression. Seven vertical
pistons above the deck
hinges form part of the
balustrades. They also
control the bridge¶s opening
motion, which is powered by

  

'
 #
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 needs to
be opened, the pistons along
the deck elongate. As this
happens, articulated sections
of the balustrade over each
part of the footpath turn
toward each other, causing
the bridge to curl up. When
fully open, the bridge forms a
loop with the tip resting on
the base. Closing the bridge
involves reversing the
process in an operation
lasting less than three
minutes.
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(

  

 was designed to be retracted into three
quarters of a full circle by 

 in the handrails.
The structure would have opened again under its own
weight, without the aid of machinery. But for better access
and other reasons, the design team opted for a bridge that
would bend into a complete circle, which eliminated the
possibility of using gravity¶s forces for reopening it. At that
stage, the bridge was to be curled section by section, with
pistons activated in turn, expending minimum energy, says
"# Then Heatherwick asked the engineers if the
segments could be retracted at the same time and speed. ³I
think this is a work of art,´ " # ³It ceased to be
purely structural when its function was determined more by
 
  
#)
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|   
 asked the engineers if the segments
could be retracted at the same time and speed. ³I think this
is a work of art,´ " # ³It ceased to be purely
structural when its function was determined more by
 
  
#)

*
 a maverick among the U.K.¶s design circles,

*
 a
Heather--wick has shown a flair for the dramatic at many
Heather
scales. In 1997, he designed a window display for Harvey
Nichols in London that broke the plane between private and
public space, extending from the store onto the sidewalk.
Upcoming work includes the U.K.¶s tallest monument, which
will be built at Manchester Stadium; a Buddhist temple in
Japan; and a tote bag for clothing manufacturer
Longchamp.