Designed by Wilkinson Eyre Architects, the bridge links former army barracks with the historic city centre across the water. It has an S-shaped alignment which resolves two skewed axes at each abutment and responds to views up and down the river.
The bridge is conceived as a pair of self-anchored suspension bridges which overlap visually and structurally at the middle of the river in a symbolic demonstration of unity and concord. An array of filigree hangers support one edge of the bridge deck from catenary cables which, in turn, are supported at high level from raking masts. The fluid lines of the composition frame views of the historic city. The bridge is funded by EU PEACE III monies.
The Civic Trust Awards recognises outstanding architecture, planning and design in the built environment. The awards celebrate not only design excellence, but also the relationship between structures, places, the environment and communities.
