Salford bridge shortlist revealed

A shortlist of architects has been produced for a global competition to build a new footbridge over the River Irwell in Salford.

The competition held jointly by Salford City Council and the Royal Institute of British Architects looks to open up the untapped green space at The Meadows to local residents and students.

Overall, the competition received 172 submissions from 31 countries.

The shortlisted teams are:

• Atelier Zündel Cristea, Paris
• Mott MacDonald with Moxon Architects, Altrincham and London
• Toby Savage Design Limited with Wolfgang Buttress Studio and LDA Design, Stockport
• Tonkin Liu Limited with Arup, London


The site to be accessed by the new bridge covers around 17 acres and forms the northern section of the Irwell River Park project.



IRP is set to be an international destination involving a partnership between Salford, Manchester and Trafford councils and will be the catalyst for major economic expansion in the area.



The bridge is the next step in the IRP project, and is expected to be an iconic creation linking The Crescent with The Meadows.



The Judging Panel included Renato Benedetti, McDowell + Benedetti acting as the RIBA Adviser, and Salford City Mayor Ian Stewart.



Ian Stewart said: "The amount of entries we had and the range of countries they were from is a testament to Salford's reputation as a modern global city.



"Professionals from around the world want to make a contribution to Salford's growth. The entries we have chosen are truly visionary for what they could offer to Salford. The bridge we hope to build here will be a crucial part of the area's future.



"Huge investment is going into Salford Central and the Chapel Street area. An iconic bridge with a global reputation will sit perfectly with that."



The shortlisted teams will now meet the full judging panel at a final interview in November after which an overall winner will be selected.