London a history in the making

London: History in the making

BriefRIBA in partnership with The Royal Academy of the Arts are holding a design competition for young architects and designers to build temporary structures across thirty locations on London. Some of these locations include Trafalgar Square, Covent Garden and Regents Park. The structures would be in place for one year. Before the thirty structures are chosen various designers and architects can submit designs for specific locations. The location you have been given is St. James's Park were you must build a bridge to go across the lake.

Experimentation 1

I looked at origami and using sculptural geometric forms as a bridge design. This way the bridge is more of a sculpture that the public can walk though. My favourite

design in the one on the right side as it in not arranged into a set form like the other designs.

Experimentation 2

I have also looked at the way suspension is used in bridges as s structural and decorative feature. I experimented with several different designs using suspension

and the way that it can be combined with different shapes and forms.

Design Idea 1

This idea is based on suspension and would have various coloured wires forming a cuboid. The wires would span in all different directions and there would be no solid walls so that it would be possible to look though the wires and out onto the lake.

Design Idea 2

This idea is based on the origami experiments I made. I took a standard shape an repeated it to create an L-shape from that pedestrians would be walked through. It

would zig zag across the lake rather than going straight across like the first idea.

Design Idea 3

This design is also based on geometry and uses triangles of various sizes to make up a tube to walk through. Unlike the previous two designs it does not sit in the water but has two legs

forming and arch. this design would be made of glass and wood. The lower panels would be made of wood whilst the roof panels would be made largely of glass with some made of

wood to form a link between the two sections.

Chosen IdeaDesign idea 2 is my favourite and chosen idea. There are lots of ways it could be further developed and I also like the origami influence. I think

that a delicate structure based on origami would sit well in the park surroundings as anything too large or modern would look out of place. Although I was experimenting with suspension that is usually used on much larger bridges and I would like something that sits in the water.