Project Description
FROM THE ARCHITECTS:
The new Salford Meadows bridge brings the meadow to the city, as an ever-changing leafy envelope. The new bridge is a timber pathway wrapped in a lattice shell tunnel that varies in section, planted at the meadow side with Virginia Creeper. The bridge will gradually become grown over, creating a dramatic transition to from the city to the Meadow, changing over time and with the seasons.
The bridge bends toward the east, pulling pedestrian traffic into the Meadow by enveloping passersby as they move along the sidewalk, and creating a visible landmark for the green space beyond. Elongating and curving the bridge places the landing at the bus stop and river walk entry, making the bridge’s entry a node of activity and an invitation to discovery.
The lower mouth of the bridge peeks through the trees bordering the Meadow, burrow-like, a modest but identifiable presence at the meadow’s edge. The timber-clad walking path floats within the lattice tunnel, making the walk through the bridge a spatial experience. The voluminous passageway varies in diameter, creating a variety of experience through movement. Vines growing on the shell change color with the seasons, adding another dimension to the walk.