Welwyn Garden City Footbridge by Lola Anne Braimah

Anne Hadiza Adelola Braimah WELWYN GARDEN CITY FOOTBRIDGE Interior Architecture and Design Design Studio 4: Inside Out DESIGN PROPOSAL Module Code - 5CTA1145

BY LOLA ANNE BRAIMAH

Tutor: Gabi Code

HISTORY OF SITE The Shredded Wheat Factory is a Grade II listed building located in Welwyn Garden City. The factory was built in 1925 by architect, Louis De Soissons who was also and architect for Nabisco. The factory is mainly made out of concrete and glass. Its distinct tall white silos, has given the building character over the years. For those who travel from London towards the north will have noticed this extremly tall structure.

TIMELINE 1926 - The factory opened.

1928 - The original company became a part of Nabisco, an American manufacturer of cookies and snacks.

1938- 27 more storage unit were contructed and became an addition to the factory later on that year - these units were built by Peter Lind and Company.

1988 - Nabisco sold the factory to RHM (an own label cereals company for supermarkets) 1990 - RHM sold the site to Cereal Partners UK. 2008 - The factory closed.

2016 - The site had been bought byTesco 2017 - EPR have been granted permission to redevelop the entire site.

HISTORY OF SITE THE FOOTBRIDGE • The footbridge was built in the 1920’s (around the same time the Welwyn Garden City railway station opened) and was used by pedestraians to cross over to the other side o the city.

• Before the 1990’s the footbridge would be closed during the night by British Railways and was only accessible during the day, hence the gates.

• In earlier years pedestrians would also have to pay to cross the bridge.

• The original footbridge had been expanded three times its previous length - once the Howard Centre was built.

• The footbridge also used to have roofing.

THE FOOTBRIDGE TODAY...

• In December 2013, the bridge was ‘widened’. This was done by removing the handrails, apparently, these helped support the bridge as it was in a condition that couldn’t handle too much weight.

• The bridge has also been burnt due to a fire that occurred in July 2011. This incident left the bridge badly burnt and was closed due to fears over its infrastructure.

• In May 2014, firefighters had to cut away wood cladding on a railway bridge after a small fire occured.

SITE VISIT Above highligted in green, is the paths I took during the site visit.

SITE ANALYSIS

Footfall Analysis

Route Analysis

SITE ANALYSIS THE FOOTBRIDGE

Bridge Analysis The existing bridge is used by local residents, visitors and commuters. It has four main access points: The Howard Centre, Osborn Way, Platforms 1&2 and Platforms 3&4 at Welwyn Garden City Station. It is located above train tracks and open space utilised by construction workers.

Aesthetics The footbridge has two contrasting styles – the modern bridge is made from the bridge design is inconsistent and does not look unified: The traditional bridge is in need of repair, it has lattice patch-worked fences made from aluminium, steel and iron, also the flooring is made up of concreate. The materials used to create the bridge have definitely eroded over a period of time, giving it a rusty look. The traditional footbridge also has lighting installed above in the girders, which are activated in the evenings and early mornings for safety.

The modern part of the footbridge has two access points which are the four train platform stairwells. This open-air footbridge has a metal roof for shelter and has 2 railings in the middle of the pathway.

User Experience & Site Issues The footbridge offers an exceptional view of the Shredded Wheat Factory, but terrible views of vacant, abandoned industrial building and waste beneath the bridge. During poor weather conditions, it doesn’t offer users a great experience as there is no protection. Users are forced to shelter in the Howard Centre or on the train platforms. There are two elevators on the footbridge for disabled users to access the train platforms only. The footbridge has no separate paths for cyclists, disabled or baby stroller users. The bridge is too narrow for people to congregate and socialise as the environment can get very hectic around peak hours when commuters are rushing for their train.

PRECEDENT STUDY THE LUCHTSINGEL by ZUS The Luchtsingel is a 400m bridge made up of 17,000 wooden planks located in the heart of Rotterdam. This urban infrastructure was created to reconnect the neglected neighbourhoods and abandoned areas in Hofplein, that was once a thriving inner city recognised worldwide. Decades later Hofplein, after the Second World War the city was in need of serious attention. I chose to focus on the Luchtsingel Bridge because it is an excellent response to the separation of neighbourhoods and derelict areas – similar to the industrial areas in Welwyn Garden City that has been abandoned for years.

ZUS focused on providing citizens a passage where they can connect from one destination to another. The project has given the locals a place to gather without being confined to the side by fast-moving traffic.

ZUS’s design process

ROUTING

PLACE MAKING

TRANSFORMATION

DENSIFICATION

LOCAL ECONOMY

The Luchtsingel has become a triggering force for new development:

Hofplein Station

DakAkker

There are currently 24 projects conected by the Luchtsingel

Park Pompenburg

DESIGN APPROACH BRIDGE DESIGN Inspired by the Nabisco Shredded Wheat Factory and the various heights the structure has, I wanted to restore the cities industrial presence. I had an idea of viewing an ‘industrial site’ from a far, so I looked at industrial skyline silhoettes and structures that appear to be made up of a cluster of buildings.

After my site visit I found the lattice patchwork on the footbridge extemely interesting.

Despite the fact that the bridge is clearly in need of repair, I felt like the lattice patchwork gave the bridge character. I decided to look into woven textiles and fabrics that overlap as would like to incorporate this in my proposed design.

CONCEPT BRIDGE DESIGN

“MAKING PEDESTRIANS PRIMARY” Bridge Road is an extremley busy main road that doesnt offer pederstrians a nice experience - motorists arepriority over pedestrians. I aim to design a bridge for pedestrians only.

I made several physical maquette models whilst exploring my design concept for the footbridge. I used paper manipulation techniques to create a design that relpicates ‘an idustrial site’. Below are images of my maquette models, I played around with shade and lighting to get an alternative perspective and different shapes.

CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT After assembling my physical paper maquettes, I then tested and developed them on SketchUp. Below are images of my digital maquettes rendered.

FINAL DESIGN

I added benches to the space for users that are commuters and need somewhere to wait for their train. These seats are also there to indicate a meeting poit for users.

I designed a footbridge that consisted of two open-air paths. The left entrance is for the local users who are using the bridge as a gateway to the heart of Welwyn Garden City and the other residential areas. The right entrance is for commuters and visitors. I chose to design a ‘two-way’ footbridge to make the experience for all users easier. This design gives commuters and visitors a place to gather or dwell whilst waiting for their train. Additionally, it gives the locals a better exprience crossing from one part of the city to another. Lastly, it automatically gives a sense of direction and eliminates confusion.