A grafting of new structure to old infrastructure, to amplify the experience of crossing a bridge.

This existing bridge needed to be widened to accommodate increased vehicular traffic across the Yarra River into the city's sporting precinct, and to provide a safe thoroughfare for pedestrians and cyclists. The existing arching geometry of the concrete vaults is both a tangible and identifiable characteristic of the Swan Street Bridge. The proposed cantilevered bridge pathways build upon the existing language of concrete arches and extend this into a vaulted steel structure that scallops gently along its outer edges. For the rowers on the river below, their understanding of the existing arched bays is both reinforced and extended upon as they glance up.

A finely articulated balustrade of folded steel tubing, the edge of the bridge deck is light and transparent in contrast to the weight of the existing concrete support arches. The effect is a pillowing or softening of this edge, a thinness that relates to the scale of the pedestrian rather than the car.

The bridge can also be a place of inhabitation and so have incorporated moments where people can rest, stop for a conversation or a coffee. It is more than simply a pedestrian corridor for getting from one side to the other, but a memorable place to hang out in between.