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London Olympic Cauldron designer Thomas Heatherwick’s £60m plan for …

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  • Thomas Heatherwick is searching for private funding for the garden bridge
  • It would create a walkway across river from Temple to the South Bank
  • Actress Joanna Lumley backs the plans, calling the garden ‘sensational’
  • Bridge, which could open by 2016, would be first new crossing since 2002

By
Helen Lawson


PUBLISHED:

05:02 EST, 25 July 2013


|

UPDATED:

06:51 EST, 25 July 2013

With streets and Tube trains packed with workers and tourists jostling for space, central London can be anything but relaxing.

But an oasis of calm away from packed public transport could soon be on its way with a piece of countryside set to land on the River Thames.

Thomas Heatherwick, the creator of the London 2012 Olympic cauldron, has unveiled plans for a £60million bridge full of trees and flower beds to span the river from Temple to the South Bank.

It would be the first new crossing across the Thames since the ‘wobbly’ Millennium Bridge opened in 2002 and London’s answer to New York’s High Line, where a disused train line has been transformed into a lush aerial park.

A computer-generated image shows how a garden bridge across the River Thames could look. Olympic cauldron designer Thomas Heatherwick is looking for backing for the £60million project

A computer-generated image shows how a garden bridge across the River Thames could look. Olympic cauldron designer Thomas Heatherwick is looking for backing for the £60million project

The bridge would link Temple to the South Bank, with pedestrians enjoying stunning views of St Paul's Cathedral and the City of London to the east

The bridge would link Temple to the South Bank, with pedestrians enjoying stunning views of St Paul’s Cathedral and the City of London to the east

The project, which is being developed with engineering firm Arup, will go ahead only if Heatherwick can raise money from private backers and will not receive public funds.

It could open as soon as 2016 and give stunning views along the river of St Paul’s Cathedral and the City of London to the east.

He told the Evening Standard: ‘The idea is simple – to connect north and south London with a garden.’

The design was the result of a Transport for London tender to find ways of improving travel for those on foot.

It is hoped that cycle lanes would be improved on nearby Waterloo and Blackfriars bridges if pedestrians opt for the new walkway.

The idea of garden bridge across the river has long been backed by actress Joanna Lumley. 

She told the Daily Telegraph: ‘This
garden will be sensational in every way: a place with no noise or
traffic where the only sounds will be birdsong and bees buzzing and the
wind in the trees, and below the steady rush of water.

Heatherwick was awarded the CBE in January for services to the design industry

Joanna Lumley has long campaigned for a garden bridge and welcomed Heatherwick's design

Thomas Heatherwick, left, has found a celebrity supporter for the garden bridge in Joanna Lumley, right

‘It will be the slowest way to cross the river, as people will dawdle and lean on parapets and stare at the great cityscapes all around; but it will also be a safe and swift way for the weary commuter to make his way back over the Thames.

‘I believe it will bring to Londoners and visitors alike peace and beauty and magic.’

Isabel Dedring, London’s deputy mayor for transport, told the Evening Standard: ‘The mayor has been keen to find an iconic piece of green infrastructure
that can symbolise London as a high quality of life place to live.

‘It is a great example of a project where in our view there doesn’t need
to be a major public contribution. But if private sector funding isn’t
forthcoming then the project isn’t going to be able to go ahead.’

Thomas Heatherwick also designed the cauldron for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games

Thomas Heatherwick also designed the cauldron for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games

Heatherwick also designed new Routemaster buses for London, which were nicknamed 'cauldron on wheels' following air-conditioning problems

Heatherwick also designed new Routemaster buses for London, which were nicknamed ‘cauldron on wheels’ following air-conditioning problems in the heatwave

Heatherwick has previously designed state-of-the-art Routemasters for the capital, which were dubbed ‘cauldrons on wheels’ earlier this month after temperatures soared to 30C onboard because of faulty air-conditioning.

The Olympic Cauldron was made of 204 petals each engraved with the name of a participating country, which were presented to the nations following the closing ceremony of the Paralympics in September.

Heatherwick was awarded the CBE in January for services to the design industry.

The comments below have not been moderated.



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Does London really need this monstrosity ? Taxpayers money !!!

Debz
,

Melbourne,
25/7/2013 21:56

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Put the money into food and shelter for the homeless!

Paul
,

Surrey,
25/7/2013 21:39

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Wonderful idea – London always seems to miss out on multimillion pound investment projects. And just think how nice it would be for the forgotten residents to be able to walk about and look at flowers – just the economic boost the capital needs. Or they could waste it on feeding and housing poor people, or on civil engineering projects that would bring jobs and prosperity to depressed areas elsewhere in the country, or on hospitals, or schools.

Pipeman
,

Baccytown, United Kingdom,
25/7/2013 20:46

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i wonder which mps will gain from this?this would be better spent elsewhere.nhs maybe

gadger1
,

blackburn,
25/7/2013 20:17

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Love the bridge, love London, but it would be nice for some investment in Middlesbrough.

andyuk
,

paris,
25/7/2013 20:08

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He’s a great designer – I hope he gets the backing. His cauldron filled me with genuine awe 🙂

peter
,

london,
25/7/2013 20:01

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Actually a nice idea, but then again the project is only London-centric indulgence.

Cat_nip
,

Nonsuch,
25/7/2013 19:51

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Feed the poor!

peterappleby21
,

Amsterdam,
25/7/2013 19:32

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I can picture it now. A leisurely walk through the Park over the Thames. Only to nearly get killed by a Cyclist whistling past because he sees it as a nice shortcut over the water,

Baldy
,

Planet Earth,
25/7/2013 19:27

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i am thinking airport

honestphil
,

whitton, United Kingdom,
25/7/2013 19:03

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