Pennington Footbridge – design competition
Client: Housing Market Renewal Initiative
Status: Competition entry December 2006
This regeneration scheme required a striking bridge design which would become a gateway to the town of Bootle.
In collaboration with Arup we developed a bridge that is clearly functional, but which boldly expresses its engineering.
The curved plan of the deck responds to the street pattern and gives rise to the asymmetric arrangement of inclined arches. Dead load deflections of the major arch balance the deflections from the live load imposed on the bridge deck, whilst a steel cable net adds further stability and creates a strong visual effect.
The arches would be fabricated from steel plate, pressed and welded to achieve a box profile. These sections would then be bent to form the arches. The deck is made of cast concrete panels. Concealed lighting dramatically illuminates the structure providing the town with a 24 hour landmark.
