Tell us about the early design brief
The brief was to design two bridges that could be combined into one during London 2012 to accommodate crowd flow. During the Games a central temporary infill was constructed between the bridges, while after the Games, two bowls on either side of the lock link the upper park concourse with the lower level of towpaths and waterways.
What inspired your design?
The vision for the Olympic Park concourse was for a continuous landscape that seamlessly extended across the various waterways, railways and roads. The bridge was a primary pedestrian pathway for the Park and we decided to capture the exuberance of London 2012 by using coloured rubber for the surface of the temporary infill deck. The surface is made from recycled running shoes to form a multi-coloured carpet of ‘confetti’. It was a very visible surface but only remained in place for a few months during London 2012.