Lachlan’s Line Pedestrian & Cycle Bridge
As part of the North Ryde Urban Activation Precinct, Lachlan’s Line is a contemporary urban village located in the heart of Macquarie Park, Sydney, which will provide housing for over 5,000 residents in a transit oriented development. LANDCOM is the masterplan developer of this project which will include around 3,000 apartments, a neighbourhood retail precinct and high quality connected parks and public domain areas.
Connectivity is indeed a key aspect of this development and therefore, one of the key features of this development will be a new pedestrian and cycleway bridge that continues the green spine of Lachlan’s Line, from the contemporary urban village connecting the site directly to North Ryde train station.
KI Studio has developed a concept design, in cooperation with Arup consultant engineers, for this bridge and its interface with Lachlan’s Line site, creating a unique and iconic structure that provides not only a safe shared-path connection across the motorway, but also a high quality public space.
Key approach for the bridge was to create an inspired sculpture in the landscape that bridge users experience, whilst providing a unique landmark that cements the identity of the Lachlan’s Line precinct. The sinuous shape of the 178 metres long bridge lends itself to a curved alignment, delivering a fluid form that responds to user’s desire lines and adds flexibility to respond to the various site constraints, whilst giving the structure a sculptural quality from both within and outside, enriching our urban domain.
The proposed superstructure is conceived as a tubular truss that varies in diameter to allow for a wider deck in key locations in order to add interest for the user and provide a more sculptural appearance from outside the structure. The blue colour of the structure reflects the cool hues of nearby buildings whilst accentuating its form.
In order to soften the harsh environment for users, and to extend the concept of “greening” across the bridge, hanging gardens are introduced in key sections of the bridge. These gardens will provide some protection from the elements and would contribute to the overall journey experience.
The gardens are integrated within the superstructure in the form of curving panels. Their location would face areas of good passive visual surveillance, taking into account the application of CPTED (Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design) principles.
Sustainable technology suited to this harsh environment would be employed for the hanging gardens. Eco pillows made from recyclable (no soil) material would be fed with drip irrigation, preferably using recycled water from the bridge. Plants would be mainly lithophilic and epiphytic, hence would be hardy species, low maintenance and suited to the conditions.
The design’s combination of form, texture, space, colour, motion and greening attempts to create an introverted experience for the users, as if walking ‘through’ a sculpture, making the journey more engaging and unique, whilst delivering a memorable landmark for North Ryde.
