The proposal for the Meadows Salford Bridge Competition of Alex Daxböck and Chris Precht of penda reinterprets a traditional bridge typology by mixing it with a strong, visual landmark. Looking at the bridge from the side, the strucutre appears as a common suspended bridge, but getting closer to its starting points, the bridge opens up its eliptical shape and surrounds the pedestrians walking over to the Meadows.
The `O´ – A multifaceted object

The aim of the proposal is to create a landmark for the Salford Meadows by turning its structure of the bridge into a formal element, which will define a strong signature for the site. The design is meant to stand as a monument by balancing the tradition of Salford with the green spaces on the Meadow in an elegant, harmonious and inviting way. Landmark

A landmark not defined how people are interacting with the building, but how the building is interacting with the people. Therefore we created an icon for the Meadows which changes its appearance to people throughout the city. People in the South and North of Salford see the bridge as a disc-like object, where else for people in the eastern and western parts the bridge has a very slim and elegant appearance. Approaching from the Crescent / Chapel Street, the bridge looks like a common swing bridge suspended from a pylon. Getting closer, the bridge is opening up and the ellipses turns into a full circle inviting the visitors to the Meadow. People are interacting with the b...