CROSSING
BRIDGE. 2019.
Location: Bristol
Team: Alice Lindquist, Sophie Judson, Jim Chim (civil engineer), Kay Lo (civil engineer)
Type: studio project
A bridge in Bristol connecting two bustling axes of tourist and commuter traffic. The main focus of this collaborative project is to provide a dynamic, permeable connection which explores the nature of graffiti culture in the city of Bristol.
The ever-changing nature of graffiti artwork makes a fascinating precedent for architectural design. As the UK’s capital of street art, the relationship between this art and physical human movement through the city is one which this project aims to explore. The art community is beginning to grow in Bristol, inviting locals and tourists as “visitors” and “artists” to take part. Giving a duty to architects to create flexibility, a space is desired where it can fluctuate and respond to changing cultures and mindsets in its location. Expressed in a visual form, the process of painting over one wall over and over again reflects the concept desired for the bridge to explore: a journey.
Parallel to the water’s flow, the graffiti panels are experienced in a completely different way depending on what angle one looks at the bridge. The semi-permanent medium also creates an ever-changing environment on the bridge. Washing off after a few rounds of heavy rain, the bridge will never look the same twice, with new art appearing year-round. It provides a space for locals and tourists to dabble in the street art community, using multi-functional structural panels as a canvas for the people to create and see their own art become apart of Bristol’s cityscape.
