Thaliana Bridge Featured in Architects’ Journal

The Architects’ Journal featured the Thaliana Bridge, an elegant, 42-meter-long (138 foot), weathering steel-and-timber footbridge with a 10-meter (33 foot) clear span in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, England, with structural design by DeSimone.

Set in a lush landscape, the bridge takes its name from the Thale plant, Arabidopsis Thaliana, the first plant to have its genome fully sequenced through genetic analysis by biologist Dr. Rachel Leech. Funding for the project came from Dr. Leech’s estate. 

Envisioned by Architect Gagarin Studio, the design of one side of the bridge reflects the plant’s chromosome DNA sequence, with the other left intentionally neutral, allowing visitors to view the sequence clearly.

Working within tight site constraints, the DeSimone engineering team designed a structure for the bridge that could be fabricated and delivered to the site in manageable sections, bolted together, and then lifted and installed in a single piece.

In the article, journalist Rob Wilson speaks with Gagarin Director Steve Gittner about Gagarin’s bridge design philosophy and the research that went into the Thaliana Bridge. Approaching each bridge as a “piece of land art,” Gagarin’s architects dove into researching the Thale plant, exploring several designs before developing the simple, sculptural approach that perfectly ties into the tranquil environment.

Read the article or download a PDF.

Thaliana Bridge is one of many footbridges across England designed by Gagarin in collaboration with DeSimone’s structural engineering team based in Hebden Bridge, England. Most recently, the partnership completed the West Park Bridge in Long Eaton, Derbyshire, a 121-meter-long, curved, steel suspension bridge.

DeSimone team: Principal Darren Paine, Project Engineer Michael Pledger

Photo: Mark Newton