Entrants were set the challenge to design fully accessible footbridges that could be used across Britain’s rail network. The brief from contest organiser RIBA Competitions was to produce ideas that were innovative, challenged presumptions and raised expectations for the quality of future design.
More than 120 entries were received from 19 countries. The overall winner is Gottlieb Paludan Architects from Denmark with Strasky Husty & Partners from the Czech Republic.
The judges said that their design idea “presented a bridge with a more resolved design aesthetic, which most convincingly addressed the wide range of practical challenges whilst proposing a bold, elegant and uncluttered response that would create an uplifting experience to suit many contexts”.
The judges also decided to highly commend the entry by Hawkins\Brown with WSP. This design proposed a modular ‘kit of parts’ that would enable a standardised bridge system to be adapted via the use of simple pre-fabricated, clip-on modular elements to different contexts and settings.
Anthony Dewar, head of buildings and architecture at Network Rail, said: “Footbridges can have a significant positive impact on their local environment and offer wider social and economic benefits. As part of Network Rail’s commitment to make the railway more inclusive and fit for today’s needs through good design, the competition winner will be added to our new catalogue of improved station footbridge designs, and we are in discussions to agree how this idea can be fully realised.”
An exhibition of a selection of the entries submitted to the competition including the winning and highly commended designs will be held at the RIBA in February 2019.
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