Fisherman's Bridge, Lake District National Park
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Fisherman's Bridge; uprights cut at specific heights play a note when struck
Ralph Parker Download Original
Rusted steel deck built above the flood level of a river in Lake District, allowing locals to cross all year round
Spanning 14 metres, the elemental shape of the bridge responds to the forces it carries; deep at mid span where the loads are greatest, and slender at the edges.
The rusted hues of the bridge complement the remarkable landscape. The deck is static and immutable; the uprights sway with the movement of people crossing.
Parametrically modelled and structurally optimised on the computer, the resultant form was unwrapped to produce steel templates that could be CNC plasma cut, being folded into shape and welded together to create the right monolithic deck. Fabrication and installation was by local crafts people.
Data
- Begun: Sep 2008
- Completed: Sep 2009
- Floor area: 25m2
- Sectors: Public realm, Transport
- Total cost: £17,500
- Funding: Private
- Procurement: Negotiated Contract
- Address: Church House, Ulpha, Broughton-in-Furness, The Lake District, Cumbria, LA20 6DX, United Kingdom
Tags 
Bridge, Landscape architecture, National Park, Park, Pedestrian bridge, RIBA Award, Small Projects
Materials
Concrete, Corten steel, Rusted steel, Slate, Steel structure
Professional Team
- Architect: Honey Architecture
- Project architects: Alex Mill, Ralph Parker
- Client: Church House Estates Ltd
- Structural engineer: Price & Myers Geometrics
- Quantity surveyor: Honey
- Main contractor: Tony Sanders Blacksmiths
- Pier Works: John Case
- Acoustic engineer: Alex Mills
