Ney and William Matthews scoops Tintagel Bridge job
A collaboration between Belgian civic engineering firm Ney & Partners and London-based architect Williams Matthews has won the contest to design a new £4 million footbridge at Tintagel Castle, north Cornwall.
The firms saw off competition from 2015 Stirling Prize finalist Niall McLaughlin, London Eye designers Marks Barfield, bridge experts Wilkinson Eyre, France’s Dietmar Feichtinger Architectes and Jean-François Blassel Architecte.
More than 130 entries were received in the contest – run by Malcolm Reading Consultants on behalf of English Heritage – with almost 40 per cent of submissions coming from overseas.
The new footbridge will link the ruins of the 13th-century coastal castle, the mythical home of King Arthur, and the nearby headland. The winning scheme will stand 28 metres higher than the current crossing and span more than 70 metres.
Ney and William Matthews’ winning design is based on two cantilevers and was inspired by studying Celtic history and the castle’s original drawbridge.
The bridge will use local slate the its decking and contrasting weathered and non-weathered steel for its other surfaces.
‘The narrow gap between the cantilevers represents the transition between the mainland and the island, here and there, the present and the past, the known and the unknown, reality and legend; all the things that make Tintagel so special and fascinating,’ explained the team in the presentation of its winning scheme.
Kaye Mavor, chief executive of English Heritage: ‘The winning team’s concept is daring and very exciting. It is not the final design but instead a brilliant indication of the team’s talent and imagination. We will now work with them on a design that will both complement the spectacular landscape and unlock for the visitor the history of the site.
‘In our new role as a charity, we are looking for new, imaginative ways to interpret the sites in our care and inspire our visitors – this bridge forms part of that approach.’
Chair of the jury Graham Morrison, said: ‘This is a strong and confident concept design with a thoughtful geometry that meets the demanding, multi-faceted Brief. The team presented with admirable clarity – both at interview and in the written materials. In the end, the jury was persuaded as much by the technical assurance of Ney’s proposal, and its buildability, as its aesthetics and sensitivity to the exceptional setting.’
Competition organiser, Malcolm Reading, added: ‘This competition attracted interest from nearly thirty countries and generated an impressive turn-out of top-tier firms. We would like to thank the shortlisted teams for their dedication and commitment and the jury for its insights and industry. The jury had to pick one winner, but each of the six finalists performed at the highest level, and the range of proposals was inspiring.’
The project is expected to complete in 2019.