RIBA London Bridge 800 November 5, 2009

An exhibition featuring the design entries to the recently concluded London Bridge Ideas competition is to take place at the CUBE Gallery in Manchester.

The competition was launched in May on behalf of the Worshipful Company of Chartered Architects (WCCA), a Livery Company of the City of London. The competition marked the 800th anniversary of the opening of the first London Bridge in 1209AD and invited today’s designers to imagine a new version of the inhabited bridge.

The competition received an exceptional response with over 70 entries received 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.

The following schemes were awarded prizes :
1st Prize – Laurie Chetwood, Chetwoods, London;
2nd Prize – Lawrence Friesen, GenGeo, Ilona Hay, London
3rd Prize – Ryszard Rychlicki, student, Poznan, Poland.

Laurie Chetwood’s winning design was described by the judges as ‘beautifully presented, wildly imaginative and a unanimous first choice’.

David Cole-Adams, Clerk to the WCCA said “The Company of Chartered Architects have been delighted with the response to the Competition and the fact that a number of entrants had told them that it had been enormous fun taking part in a short, sharp, ideas competition. Perhaps, before Boris Johnson holds his competition for an inhabited bridge further downstream, he might wish to look at the entries and take inspiration from the quality of the ideas raised through this competition!”

Don’t miss this opportunity to see the exciting and varied range of competition entries.

Official Website: http://www.cube.org.uk/exhibitions/detail.asp?id=236