Infinity Bridge Stockton-on-Tees Lighting, North Shore footbridge design photo, News, English Project Image
Infinity Bridge Design + Lighting
Ket Structure in northeast England, UK – Architecture Information
Stockton-on-Tees, UK
The successful competition design was by Expedition Engineering and Spence Associates. The subsequent design was led by Expedition assisted by Arup Materials, Balfour Beatty Regional Civil Engineering, Black & Veatch, Bridon, Cambridge University, Cleveland Bridge UK, Dorman Long Technology, Flint & Neill, Formfab, GCG, GERB, Imperial College, RWDI, Spence Associates, Speirs & Major, Stainton and William Cooke. White Young Green were Project Managers.
Infinity Bridge won an RIBA award in 2010
Infinity Bridge
picture : Brian Swales photography
3 Mar 2010
Infinity Bridge
The brief called for an iconic structure as part of the Stockton-on-Tees regeneration of the North Shore site. The resulting footbridge now links the north and south shores and provides better access to business and jobs in the area.
pictures : Brian Swales photography
Designed by Expedition Engineering, the slender bowstring bridge cuts a distinctive silhouette across the River Tees. A 230m-long concrete walkway is supported by a pair of asymmetric steel arches that appear to skip across the river like a pebble skimming water.
Speirs and Major Associates designed the lighting in such a way that the iconic twin arches reflect in the water at night to form the mathematical symbol for infinity (∞) – hence the name.
Infinity Bridge Lighting film on YouTube
Infinity Bridge Lighting
The designers bounced blue light off the water to light the underbelly of the deck and form a blue zone above the water. Cold white light was used to reveal the structural form and create the sense of a floating wave hovering just above the deck.
In typical SaMA fashion, all lighting equipment was carefully concealed. Lights are mounted on outriggers away from the bridge so that pedestrians aren’t aware of the fixtures or disturbed by their glare.
Along the surface of the deck, light is programmed to respond to the presence of people, guiding them down the walkway or signalling the approach of oncomers. There are blue and white LED units concealed under the handrail. When people cross the bridge, the sensors trigger a change from blue to white, leaving a ‘comet’s trail’ of light in the pedestrians’ wake. (See video.)
No other bridge is known to have quite the same design. Competing in the awards for Structural Engineering Excellence against over 100 global entries, the Infinity Bridge went on to win the overall Supreme Award.
photo : Morley von Sternburg
Infinity Bridge – Building Information
Client: Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council
Design: Expedition Engineering / Spence Associates
Lighting design: Speirs and Major Associates
Principal contractor: Balfour Beatty Civil Engineering Ltd
Photographs: James Newton
Location:England
Cleveland building – Middlehaven by Studio Egret West
mima – new Middlesbrough art gallery, County Durham, northeast England
Erick van Egeraat Associated Architects
mima photo © Christian Richters
Middlesbrough Art Gallery + Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art
Middlehaven Campus Teesside University
image from ArcelorMittal
Comments / photos for the Infinity Bridge Stockton-on-Tees Architecture page welcome
Infinity Bridge Stockton-On-Tees
Website: Stockton-On-Tees
