Part of a series of posts by Neil Cownie on The Future of Swanbourne Village

I recently discovered this excellent new pedestrian and bicycle bridge over Regents Canal in London known as ‘Somers Town Bridge’. This elegant, slender and light weight steel bridge was designed by Moxom Architects with structural engineers Arup.

The entire 38-meter span of the bridge has a steel plate floor surface with folded steel upstands at the sides, all from 15mm thick steel plate.  A rhythm of flat steel plate ribs to the underside of the bridge add strength and delightful detail to the bridge. The bridge has been described to be ‘in keeping with the great Victorian design in the surrounding vicinity, the bridge is robust, with detailed craftsmanship and a careful selection of materials form a minimalist finish.’ The unadorned, no nonsense bridge blurs the line between structural engineering and architecture resulting in an elegantly simple beam that sits so comfortably in its surroundings.

This bridge is an excellent example of how new infrastructure can do so much more than meeting the utilitarian demands of a brief when ‘design led’. Demand that the Town of Cottesloe and the Town of Claremont initiate a ‘design led’ outcome for the future of the Swanbourne Village and the all-important pedestrian link at the location of the existing bridge.

Pedestrian and bicycle bridge over Regents Canal in London known as ‘Somers Town Bridge’.

Pedestrian and bicycle bridge over Regents Canal in London known as ‘Somers Town Bridge’.

Pedestrian and bicycle bridge over Regents Canal in London known as ‘Somers Town Bridge’.

Pedestrian and bicycle bridge over Regents Canal in London known as ‘Somers Town Bridge’.

Pedestrian and bicycle bridge over Regents Canal in London known as ‘Somers Town Bridge’.

Pedestrian and bicycle bridge over Regents Canal in London known as ‘Somers Town Bridge’.

Go back to the The Future of Swanbourne Village

The Bridging Communities Series