Knight Architects’ Taplow Footbridge Completes
Designed by bridge specialists Knight Architects and engineers COWI for Berkeley Homes (Oxford and Chiltern) Ltd, the new 35m footbridge carries pedestrians and cyclists over the River Thames from Glen Island to Ray Mill Island, linking the new Taplow Riverside mixed-use development with Maidenhead.
This regeneration scheme by Berkeley Homes is set to transform the waterfront along this reach of the Jubilee River and the River Thames. The sensitive and elegant design of the new footbridge provides the quality and appearance required to protect and enhance the character of the two riverside Conservation Areas.
The shallow arch form of the design is inspired by Brunel’s nearby Maidenhead Bridge and is echoed in the slender new steel structure. It provides the site with a modest riverside landmark which is conceived as a destination for pedestrians as well as a cross-river connection.
The fabricated triangular-section steel arches form a simple and elegant composition of deck and twin structural arches. Slender steel plate hangers emphasise this attractive composition and ensure the structure is lightweight and transparent in long river views. Fabrication of the bridge sections was carried out by SH Structures.
Martin Knight, director at Knight Architects, said: “The new footbridge at Taplow has been eagerly anticipated by the local community on both sides of the river for several years, so it is wonderful to see it completed, open and in public use. The design is inspired by its setting, including Brunel’s famous Maidenhead Railway Bridge, and the bridge highlights the wider transformation of the entire site from an unloved post-industrial mess to a beautiful new development. Bridges are strongly associated with a sense of place and our new footbridge already feels like a natural part of the new identity of Taplow Riverside.”
“Development is all about place making. and it’s not just about the beautiful homes that we build. This type of project is a great example of how we can bring new and existing communities together.” – Andrew Saunders-Davies, Chairman, Berkeley Homes.
