English Heritage announced today [September 3, 2015] the six finalist teams who will proceed to the second stage of the Tintagel Castle: Bridge Design Competition.
The teams are led by architects or engineers and are (in alphabetical order with lead consultant first):
- Dietmar Feichtinger Architectes with Terrell (France)
- Marks Barfield Architects with Flint and Neill (UK)
- Ney & Partners Civil Engineers with William Matthews Associates, Ettwein Bridges and Waagner Biro (Belgium)
- Niall McLaughlin Architects with Price and Myers, and Max Fordham (UK)
- RFR and Jean-François Blassel Architecte with Engineers HRW, and WSP (France)
- WilkinsonEyre with Atelier One (UK)
The decision of the selection panel – which included representatives of the jury, English Heritage and competition organizers, Malcolm Reading Consultants – was unanimous.
Graham Morrison, chair of the jury and founding partner, Allies and Morrison said:
‘The competition’s first stage attracted high-level interest from around the world and we were delighted with the response. In choosing the shortlist we looked for designers likely to produce a range of imaginative ways of making a beautiful and economic structure that is right for this very particular setting.
‘The list comprises some fascinating collaborations of architects and engineers, a mix of great talent and experience.
‘Refreshingly, bridge designers show a passion and enthusiasm that assembles straightforward and confident thinking with inspirations that are unique and sometimes unexpected.’
An open day for the finalists will be held in September and the teams will have until 20 November to produce their concept designs. The new circa £4m bridge project will be 28 metres higher than the current crossing and will span 72 metres, offering exhilarating views across Tintagel, the surrounding coastline, and the Atlantic seascape.
The brief asks finalists to design a beautiful, structurally-elegant bridge which will be in harmony with the exceptional setting; Tintagel Castle being a Scheduled Ancient Monument lying within an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
English Heritage plans to reveal the concept designs to the public in an exhibition to be held in December.
The jury interviews take place in January 2016, with the winner announcement expected in late January/early February. Please see the competition’s dedicated website for further updates.
At the competition’s first stage, 137 applications were received from 27 different countries, including the United States, Russia, India, Japan, South Africa and Chile, with UK-based practices producing 60 per cent of responses.
One of the most spectacular historic sites within English Heritage’s care and inextricably linked to the legend of King Arthur, Tintagel Castle in north Cornwall has been prized throughout history for its elemental beauty and spirit of place. Today the remains of the 13th century settlement can be seen on both the mainland and jagged headland projecting into the sea, but Tintagel’s divided landscapes were once united by a narrow strip of land.
