St. Philips Footbridge

The historic Temple Meads railway station in Bristol has seen rail-related activities for almost 180 years, however much of the land is no longer in use. Changing Temple Island into a new neighbourhood is one of Bristol's most important urban development projects.

The new St. Philips footbridge spans the River Avon, improving access to Temple Island, which is surrounded by the watercourse, two railway lines and a highway. The 50m-span and 4m-wide footbridge resolves a complex crossing problem: the connection of two banks with a significant level difference.

The bridge shape is a forked steel beam with a ramp for disabled people and cyclists and a staircase on the pedestrian ‘desire line’. A holistic architectural, functional, and structural approach resulted in a bridge that is compact and clearly legible for users while being architecturally distinctive.

The bridge was planned as a catalyst for urban regeneration, setting the new quality benchmark for the future development of the area. When the bridge was planned, there were also plans for a major public entertainment venue on Temple Island. This has given way to a mixed-use development with more than 500 homes.