The RIBA recently announced the winners of an ideas competition which is being organized to mark the 800th anniversary of the opening of the first London Bridge in 1209AD. The competition called ‘London Bridge 800: Design an Inhabited Bridge’ received an exceptional response with a total of 73 entries from architects and students of architecture from all over the world. Submissions came from the UK, Europe and as far afield as the USA, Argentina, China, Hong Kong and South Africa.
Old London Bridge was an inhabited bridge and the competition asks today’s designers to imagine a new version of the inhabited bridge, based on the present structure (which for the purpose of the competition is to be deemed strong enough to carry buildings on its deck).
1st Prize – Laurie Chetwood, Chetwoods, London
2nd Prize – Lawrence Friesen, GenGeo, Ilona Hay, London
3rd Prize – Ryszard Rychlicki, student, Poznan, Poland
The judging panel, which included Richard Saxon CBE, journalist Peter Murray, Colette O’Shea of Land Securities, and Ian Head, Master of the WCCA, described Laurie Chetwood‘s scheme as ‘beautifully presented, wildly imaginative and a unanimous first choice’.
Here are some more ‘London Bridge 800′ competition entries:
