Awarded the 2017 Victorian Architecture Award, the bridge extends from Birrarung Marr, over Batman Avenue and into Melbourne Park, providing quicker and safer pedestrian access from Flinders Station and Federation Square to the iconic sporting precinct.
With lighting design provided by Electrolight, the footbridge has a total length of approximately 300 m, with a 7.5 m clear width from handrail to handrail. The urban project is the newest landmark centrepiece in the heart of Melbourne’s City, overseeing the famous Yarra River. Major Projects Victoria, the proponent for the project, had three main requirements for the lighting scheme – safety, integration and enhancing the overall night-time experience. “This is aimed at not just for users of the bridge (pedestrians and cyclists) on an intimate scale, but for the wider public who experience it visually from afar,” said Jess Perry, director of Electrolight.
The bridge was constructed from a flat steel girder structure encased in concrete, which was then wrapped in a lightweight ‘filigree’ skin of steel rods. The filigree also forms the non-structural elements of the bridge, such as balustrades, gateway elements and lighting. Sections of the balustrade turn into a series of steel frame columns of different shapes, working as the light poles to house the street lighting.
According to Mr Perry, “the main challenge was getting illumination to the bridge deck without using standard light poles, which clashed with the bridge’s aesthetic”. This constraint became the driving factor that pushed the design team to think outside the norm and challenge the preconception of the ‘light pole’. “In response to this challenge, the design team came up with a sculptural form that not only performs functionally, but also provides an interesting and unique identity for the bridge within the urban landscape,” he explained.
“The most challenging of all (at least, on-site) was aiming the inground uplights used to provide the theatrical lighting effect in a way that does not cause glare to motorists or pedestrians,” said Mr Perry. “Every time we removed the glass covers to undertake aiming, the garden sprinklers would coincidentally turn on and there was a mad rush to protect the lights from filling with water.”
“Tanderrum Bridge looks impressive in the daytime and beautiful in the evenings, and it provides the City of Melbourne with a new civic experience that connects Birrarung Marr with Melbourne Park,” he pointed out.
Project Team
Architecture: John Wardle Architects & NADAAA in collaboration
Landscape Architect: Oculus
