The AUD$63 million ($57.6 million approx.) pedestrian and bicycle bridge connects Kurilpa Point in South Brisbane to Tank Street in the Brisbane CBD. Baulderstone Queensland Pty Ltd constructed the bridge and the company’s design team included Australia’s Cox Rayner Architects and UK’s Arup Engineers.
The bridge is a multiple-mast, cable-stay structure based on principles of tensegrity – a first in city bridge construction. The 470 meter long, 120 meter span bridge features two large viewing and relaxation platforms, two rest areas, and a continuous all-weather canopy for the entire length of the bridge.
While the geometry of the bridge is informal, the cables (in tension) and tubes (in compression) are arranged with a structural rhythm, a logic similar to all tensegrity forms but with the added resilience of reliable infrastructure.
On the northern side, Kurilpa soars over the CBD expressway, linking pedestrians to parklands and Brisbane’s justice precinct. On the southern side, it was designed to float across the river bank, spiraling before landing at the new Gallery of Modern Art. The lightness of the structure is intended to invoke the romanticism of sailing ships, and a frame of white and cable to complement the new gallery.
A public competition was held to decide on a new name for the bridge. On November 23, 2008, the winning entry was announced as Kurilpa Bridge..
