Sackler Crossing
April 14th, 2007 by pale_whites
Picture taken with Nikon D50
I visited Kew Gardens outside London recently. I made sure I saw the bridge designed by the minimalist architect John Pawson. The crossing is so simple in design using just a few elements; Black Granite and Bronze. I think a master stroke was to introduce the curve to it’s form. I had to wait a while until the bridge emptied. For a better view, click on the thumbnail above.
Further details from the Kew web-site;
Design
The Sackler Crossing is designed to foster clear visual links between the man-made structure of the bridge and the natural contours of its setting – the gently rounded shoreline, the smooth expanse of the Lake and the powerful verticals of trees. The deck is formed of rhythmic bands of black granite laid horizontally. Cast bronze vertical cantilevers rise between the granite treads to form simple balustrades, the top of each upright smoothly contoured to fit comfortably in the hand. Both stone and bronze will acquire a rich patina with use and the passage of time.
Set low and close to the lake’s surface, the Crossing is designed to give an illusion of walking on water. Depending on the angle of viewing, the spaces between the bronze fins appear and disappear, giving the structure an intriguing ambiguity between solid and transparent.
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