the Garden Bridge, the brain-child of actress and campaigner Joanna Lumley and 2012 Olympic cauldron designer Thomas Heatherwick, will reach from the South Bank to Temple station and will connect the cultural with the historic, whilst also providing a green space right in the city centre. Inspired by memories of the Malaysian mountain gardens she grew up amongst, Lumley first pitched the idea following the death of Princess Diana as a way of soothing the public, bringing peace into one of London’s most hectic zones. However, it was not until the Olympics that Lumley’s dream was able to become a reality, as her close friend Heatherwick gained international acclaim for opening the games with his inspired cauldron of 204 copper “petals”, each one representing one of the competing nations.
With Heatherwick in Boris’ good books, and Joanna Lumley remaining one of the nation’s most loved personalities, it was no surprise that when TFL announced that it was inviting proposals for a new pedestrian bridge, the pairing soon won out.
The bridge will be narrow at the edges, reaching out into an hourglass shape to encompass two broad central spaces; and will include intimate pathways, open spaces and raised platforms – private balconies of sorts – that allow for clear views of St Paul’s Cathedral, the Shard and the Gherkin.
Whilst many of London’s bridges already offer impressive vistas, Heatherwick explains that many of these are fairly unfriendly to pedestrians – our experience of London now appearing less important than the speed at which traffic can cross the Thames. The Garden Bridge, however, is intended as a breakout space, a meeting place which should “allow us all to get closer to the river” and provide an “extraordinary new experience in the heart of the city.”
In charge of the landscape will be leading horticulturalist, Dan Pearson, who envisages filling the gardens with one hundred Northern European plant species, progressing from ancient botany on the north side and into contemporary planting on the south.
“it will bring peace and beauty and magic to Londoners and visitors alike
Lumley pictures the garden as “sensational in every way; a place where the only sounds will be birdsong, bees buzzing, the wind in the trees and the steady rush of water. It will be a safe and swift way for the weary commuter to make his way over the Thames. There will be grasses, trees, wild flowers, and plants; I believe it will bring peace and beauty and magic to Londoners and visitors alike.”
Plans for the garden are far from superficial: it will change with the seasons, be home to insects and birds, and must withstand the weight of rainwater, leafy mulch and maturing trees. This is no mean feat, so it’s unsurprising that the project is estimated to cost around £150 million. Whilst over half of this has already been pledged by private backers, the government and TFL, The Garden Bridge Trust is in the process of obtaining charitable status to raise the rest of the funds. Furthermore, so as not to conflict with plans for a less palatable project – London’s supersewer – the build must begin in 2015 and be complete by 2017.
The Garden Bridge is an ambitious and outlandish idea which has been hanging in the balance for fifteen years already, however what it could provide for London – and most importantly, Londoners – could be remarkable. Imagine walking to work on a crisp spring morning and admiring the first snowdrops; sitting in the shade of a tree during a summer lunch break, just ten minutes from your office; children kicking fallen leaves on the way to Temple tube station; or even leaving an Aldwych office on a snowy winter evening and admiring The City through snow-covered trees, on the way to an evening performance at The National Theatre.
Discover the progress of The Garden Bridge at www.gardenbridgetrust.org
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