Napper Architects were commissioned to design the footbridge crossing at the River Irthing adjacent to Hadrian’s Wall. Designated a World Heritage Site, the pedestrian bridge forms part of the Roman Wall Path which shadows the entire eighty mile length of Hadrian’s Wall.
To ensure minimum disturbance to the unique archaeology and ecology of the site required a different approach to the construction and delivery of the bridge. After careful consideration it was decided to design the structure in Corten A steel which changes and weathers with the seasons and maintains a connection with the landscape hues. In an effort to minimise the disturbance to the site the two curved beams, each weighing 7.5 tonnes, were successfully flown in by Chinook helicopter.
The building is one of the few construction projects to be awarded a ‘millennium products’ citation.
