Spencer Dock Bridge: treating infrastructure as a piece of landscape

The 40 metre span bridge with its fluid lines and undulating concrete surface takes trams, traffic and pedestrians across the Royal Canal. The edges of the deck peel down to reveal a space for pedestrians to pause and take in views of the dock and Linear Park.

The underside of the bridge merges with the piers in a single movement with joint lines in the concrete designed to accentuate the geometry of the form. The finish of the concrete provides high visibility against the dark water of the canal and at night the structure is vibrantly lit from below, underlining its fluid form. The proportions of the bridge are unusual and the design exploits these by treating the bridge as a piece of landscape. The soft geometry and asymmetry create a piece of infrastructure that resolves the tension between form and function.